#if you want examples of how blogs with multiple moderators are run

[song-of-the-rune]

y'all are absolutely free to use tumblr however you please but I want redditors to know that they could, hypothetically, start a sideblog about a particular topic, add moderators to it, turn on submissions (and asks), make an "about" page laying out rules and such, and create a good tagging system. If you want it to be a bit more familiar.

[comkin]

THIS IS A PRO/COMSHIP/KIN SAFE SPACE. DISCRETION IS ADVISED AT INTERACTION.

DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT.

Everything is under the cut! (There's a lot to scroll past)

This is a source calling blog! It is directed for kins, fictives and IRLs alike who may have problematic memories or sources.

This blog provides:

Source calling ; Searching for source mates. - Template will be added at the end of this post. This MUST be followed.

Confessions ; Source/Memory confessions. - These can be used to just get something off your chest, however if you want to rant/vent put TWs/CWs and a vent warning.

Stimboards ; 3 by 3 GIF post based on one theme. - Please be specific! It can be character, source or ship based! Feel free to request something I haven't mentioned, it may be denied though.

RULES

#1 ;; Be nice! Don’t harass anyone for any reason. If you DO NOT LIKE THIS CONTENT BLOCK US. This blog is a safe space for those who identify with problematic sources and or views, antis or those who just do not agree have plenty of safe spaces and we request you DNI.

#2 ;; We accept any form of call even if it may be considered problematic. But please keep yourself safe, do not use this blog to put yourself in danger. Anonymous is RECOMMENDED but not necessary. - Not all requests on this blog have to be considered "problematic"

#3 ;; Source/fictional age gaps are A-Okay but IRL ones are NOT. Minors should only be interacting with minors and majors only with majors for safety. (Example; Body age: 19 Looking for: anyone over 18.) If ages are not in calls I will ask for resubmission or it will be deleted.

#4 ;; There is no limit on how many entries you send and you may send them one after the other (they just won't be posted at the same time). Even if you have multiple kins/etc from one source, only one will be tagged. (On the note of tagging, all problematic calls will be tagged as such so they will not meet a super wide audience - this is for the comfort of others and safety of you)

#5 ;; All questions may be asked in the ask box! Because other people may have similar questions. Source calls should be sent in DMs please! Confessions and Stimboard requests in asks.

Calls should be sent in DMs using the following template. This will be copy pasted and posted by a mod! This is just easier because we know we'll need to reach out to people about resubmissions and we can't do that with anon on all the time.

CALLS;;

Full name:

Source:

Age: (Required)

Who you're looking for:

DNI:

Extra info:

Your @ if you want it included (this may be your main or your alt!)

STIMBOARDS;;

Please include types of GIFs you do and don't want! Eg. Slime, calligraphy, or specific objects/animals etc.

Be as specific as you can! Such as what emotions you want to convey.

This blog is currently run by only one person, so I might take some time.

The stimboards are made with help from someone who does not moderate the blog! (Contributor 🌬️)

Current Mods:

Angel - 🍮

Banner ;; Avatar by me

Intro post written with help from 🌬️. :)

(Also feel free to DM about helping moderate! Especially if you don't mind us begging for you to do stimboard requests /hj)

[pintsizebear]

A quick guide on diversifying your internet use

Big social media is going to keep being disappointing because their wants and needs don't come anywhere close to aligning with their users wants and needs. EVERY big social media site or app will eventually misalign with its users, because having the entire internet's worth of people in one place is unsustainable for moderation and for financial reasons. It's an unavoidable fate for sites that are supposed to be the hub for everything.

It doesn't have to be that way. Start diversifying the sites you use BEFORE your favorite social media site becomes basically unusable or goes down completely. Take some power away from big tech corporations. Drag your friends into it too, you don't have to explore alone!

Here's a few examples of things you can do:

Join some forums There's forums for basically everything you can think of, from toy collecting, to discussion of specific disabilities, to gardening, to niche roleplay topics, and they've been running for decades so there's immense amounts of knowledge on them. Plus, people tend to be super friendly and welcoming of newbies, so you're likely to make new friends if you post regularly on them. Googling/searching for a topic + "forum"/"discussion board" (like "knitting forum" or "paper mache discussion board") will generally get you what you're looking for. Save your favorites and give them a visit every now and then!

Subscribe to some RSS feeds RSS feeds make it incredibly simple to get updates and news from your favorite websites, including a lot of social media sites! RSS readers + aggregators take the RSS information from your chosen websites (+ tumblrs, twitters, youtube channels, etc) and puts them into an easy to browse format, all in one place. Readers and aggregators are available as browser addons, desktop programs, mobile apps, email subscriptions, embeddable widgets, whatever suits your needs best. Your RSS subscriptions aren't subject to annoying, everchanging, unpredictable algorithms. They'll only show you what you're subscribed to and they'll be in chronological order. Most of them are completely free and have no ads.

Make your own website Having your own website fucking rules and you're fully in charge of everything about it. Make a blog, make an art gallery, use it as a personal image or video host, show your ass, who cares. It's yours to do what you want! Free web hosting: While free hosting is a lot more limited in what you can do, it's also much more accessible if you're not sure you want to fully commit to running a website or if you just want something to throw info on a couple times a year. A few popular examples are NeoCities (also offers a decent paid option,) Cloudflare Pages, and GitHub Pages (SFW only.) Paid web hosting: Paid hosting is generally better for people who are more dedicated to running a site, such as people who need a stable platform for work related stuff (artists, online stores, etc.) You'll generally want your own domain name (like youtube.com or wikipedia.org) which you can get at sites like namecheap, namesilo, or porkbun. Many webhosts offer free subdomain names (like how tumblr blogs are yourblogname.tumblr.com) but having your own domain makes it easy to move to another host if you need to without your url changing. Your choice of web host depends heavily on your price bracket, what you plan to use it for, features you need, if you need to host NSFW content, how much traffic you expect, etc. Contact the support team of any web host you're looking at to make sure they offer what you need before you buy their services. Shared web hosting (where multiple websites are hosted on the same server) is generally the cheapest and most accessible option for the majority of people looking to run a website. Unless you're planning on having several thousands of people on your site all at once on a regular basis, that's probably the option you want. Avoid anything owned by EIG/Newfold Digital. Self-hosting: This is the most complicated option, but also the most versatile. With self-hosting, you're only really limited to the laws of your region and the bandwidth you get from your internet provider, rather than the limits put in place by a hosting company. Take this option only if you're willing to set up a dedicated server and get into all the technical stuff that comes with it. Here's an okay guide for how to get started, though you'll want to do a lot more research beyond this.

[topgun-ace-week]

Rules

How this works?

This event is organized (or 'organized' as I'm running it alone) to align with Ace Awareness Week and its theme is asexuality. (Edit 15/09) To give more time to all the creators, the event will run exactly a month after the original Ace Week dates - 22-29 November.

Fandoms included are both Top Gun movies - Top Gun (1986) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022). For each day of the Ace Week, there will be an ace-related theme to fulfill and a few non-obligatory additional prompts to accompany it.

Example: Day X has a theme of demisexuality, word prompts of: cupcake, first time, journey, dialogue prompt, and an AU prompt of a medical setting. The only thing needed to take part in the event your work has to fulfill is the day's theme.

I.e. the work for Day X needs to be related to asexuality, meet the theme of demisexuality, and include at least one of the Top Gun (1986) or Top Gun: Maverick characters.

General rules:

This event is open to under-18s but they CANNOT post NSFW works into the collection/under the event tag. All NSFW works (Mature and Explicit) need to be appropriately tagged/warned, even if you're an 18+ creator.

This is a no-promises event, which means you should not feel pressured to fulfill any prompts and there will be no work-for-work exchanges (unless you arrange them yourself).

Each work needs to fulfill one day's theme (there can be work fulfilling multiple days' themes but it will only be posted once). Additional prompts (word, dialogue, genre, AU) are meant to stimulate creativity and are no-pressure prompts. You can try playing Bingo with the event's prompts card and there might be a badge for managing to win said Bingo but it is entirely up to you. All submissions need to adhere to the theme of asexuality.

The writing minimum is a completed fic of no fewer than 500 words, or an uncompleted fic of no fewer than 3000 words - if uncompleted, asexuality/day's theme MUST be present in the posted parts. Art-wise, at least a sketch is expected. Other forms of work are also welcome.

All ships (platonic or romantic), ratings, and themes/archive warnings are welcome, the only NOT accepted-in-the-event relationship depiction is a romantic/sexual relationship of a minor and an adult. There will be no ship shaming here.

It is expected that writers/artists will tag appropriate content warnings.

To be associated with the event, works need to be posted either here on Tumblr under the #Top Gun Ace Week Event tag, or with @topgun-ace-week mentioned, or added to the event's AO3 Collection.

All works posted in the AO3 collection will have a generated post on Tumblr unless you state you wish otherwise. If you have a problem with any of it, please contact me @the-ace-with-spades or here on this blog.

You can still use the prompts if you don't want to be reposted here/associated with the event. More about posting guidelines in the next section, including about posting anonymously.

You can find the complete event links and information about it HERE, in the pinned post.

Posting guidelines:

If you're submitting your work (either to the AO3 Collection or to the blog), you can submit at any time before the Event Day your work is for or up to two weeks after the Event if you're submitting late. It'll be revealed on the applicable Event Day by the moderator.

If you're posting your work yourself on Tumblr, please post on the Event Day your work is for.

Tumblr:

To take part in the event through Tumblr only, all fanworks need to be either submitted to be posted on this side blog (in which case I'll moderate it to fit a standardized post format) or tagged #Top Gun Ace Week Event or have @topgun-ace-week mentioned somewhere, if you prefer an original post to be made on your own blog.

You can submit a post here.

There will also be plague cards to include in the posts (for each of the event's days) that will be optional.

Plague cards for each day will be added to this post in mid-November.

Content warnings NEED to be included at the top of the post if there are any, even if you're making your own post.

This is not a must, but it'd be appreciated if the top of your participating post had a few things bulleted: author (ao3 handle/Tumblr handle), rating, relationship(s) or characters if a relationship is not a focus, word count and summary (if applicable).

Above things will be included if I'm moderating a submitted to this side blog fanwork.

AO3:

There are two ways to add your work to the Top Gun Ace Week Collection on Ao3, but I’ll post the one that is the simplest.

Go to the Collection’s Profile Page (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Top_Gun_Ace_Week_Event/profile).

Find the Post to Collection button in the top right corner.

3. This is what you should see (notice the Top Gun Week Event line at the top):

4. Fill up all the applicable information for your work as you would usually. In the ‘Summary’ box, please write which Event Day your work is for and any prompts used (i.e. Day 1 — Microlabels — pet names — Top Gun Ace Week) 

4A. Please give your work appropriate rating and/or warnings! If you don’t want to do it in the tags, use the ‘Summary’ or the ‘Notes’ boxes.

4B. If you want your work to be Anonymous, please simply state ‘This work is Anonymous’ in any of the ‘Notes’ boxes. I’ll moderate it accordingly.

5. After clicking ‘Post’ on the bottom of the page, this is what you should see:

6. Works will be unrevealed until the Event Day your work is for or, if you’re posting late, until the day after the Event ends (30/11).

Posting anonymously:

If you want to post something in the event anonymously on Tumblr, either simply write to me here or @the-ace-with-spades and tell me that you'd like to post anonymously and I'll prepare and post the work for you. Or you can submit a post to this blog with clearly stated at the top of the post that you want it posted anonymously and I'll remake the post so your handle doesn't show up.

Now, AO3 - it's the collection's moderator who can make works anonymous so preferably inform me in advance here or @the-ace-with-spades or include a note in your work on AO3 (clearly visible in the notes, as stated in the AO3 posting instructions) that you wish for it to be anonymous.

[treadmillsexpert]

Can Walking on a Treadmill for 30 Minutes Every Day Help to Burn Belly Fat?

Introduction

Losing belly fat is a common goal for many people, and it's no surprise why. Not only does excess belly fat impact our appearance, but it can also have serious implications for our health. If you're looking for a simple and effective way to tackle that stubborn belly bulge, look no further than the trusty treadmill. Yes, you heard that right - walking on a treadmill for just 30 minutes every day could be the key to finally shedding those extra inches around your waistline. In this blog post, we'll dive into the science behind burning belly fat through walking on a treadmill and uncover just how much time you need to invest in this exercise routine. So grab your running shoes and let's get moving towards a slimmer midsection!

What is Belly Fat?

Belly fat is a topic that many people are familiar with, but what exactly is it? In simple terms, belly fat refers to the excess fat stored around the abdominal area. It's also known as visceral or intra-abdominal fat. But why does our body store fat in this particular area? The answer lies in our biology. Our bodies have evolved to store excess energy in times of plenty, and the abdomen happens to be a convenient place for it. Unfortunately, this evolutionary advantage becomes a health risk when we accumulate too much belly fat. Causes of belly fat can vary from person to person. A sedentary lifestyle combined with poor dietary choices is often a major contributor. Hormonal changes, genetics, and stress levels can also play a role. If you're looking to burn belly fat, walking on a treadmill can be an effective exercise choice. Walking engages multiple muscle groups and helps increase your heart rate without putting excessive strain on your joints. It's accessible for most fitness levels and can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. So how much should you walk on a treadmill to burn belly fat? Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity walking every day. You may need more time or intensity if you want faster results or have specific fitness goals. In conclusion Walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes every day can certainly contribute to burning belly fat over time. However, it's important to remember that spot reduction isn't possible - meaning you cannot target weight loss only in one specific area of your body. Incorporating other forms of exercise and following a balanced diet will further enhance your efforts towards achieving overall weight loss and improving your health.

visit the website: TREADMILLSEXPERT.COM

Causes of Belly Fat

Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is not just a cosmetic concern but can also pose serious health risks. While there are various factors that contribute to the accumulation of belly fat, it's important to understand that it's not solely about how much you eat or exercise. One of the main causes of belly fat is an unhealthy diet. Consuming excessive amounts of sugary foods and drinks, processed snacks, and refined carbohydrates can lead to weight gain around the abdominal area. These types of foods are often high in calories and low in nutrients, causing your body to store excess energy as fat. Lack of physical activity is another contributing factor. Leading a sedentary lifestyle promotes weight gain and increases the risk of accumulating belly fat. Sitting for long periods without regular movement slows down your metabolism and reduces calorie burning potential. Hormonal imbalances can also play a role in the development of belly fat. For example, an increase in cortisol levels due to chronic stress can trigger cravings for unhealthy foods and promote the storage of abdominal fat. Additionally, genetics may predispose some individuals to carry excess weight around their midsection. Family history plays a significant role in determining where we tend to accumulate fat stores. In conclusion (I apologize for this), addressing the causes of belly fat requires a comprehensive approach that includes adopting healthier eating habits, engaging in regular physical activity (such as walking on a treadmill), managing stress levels effectively, and seeking professional guidance if needed.

Walking on a Treadmill to Burn Belly Fat

Walking on a treadmill has long been touted as an effective way to burn calories and shed unwanted pounds. But can it specifically target belly fat? Let's take a closer look. When it comes to losing weight, there is no magic bullet that solely focuses on one area of the body. Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is stubborn and can be challenging to get rid of. However, incorporating regular walking on a treadmill into your routine can contribute to overall weight loss, which may ultimately lead to a reduction in belly fat. Walking is considered a low-impact exercise that is accessible for most people. It raises your heart rate, helps boost metabolism, and burns calories. By consistently engaging in this activity for at least 30 minutes every day, you are creating an energy deficit that can result in weight loss over time. In addition to burning calories during the actual workout session, walking also has the potential to increase muscle mass – particularly if you incorporate incline or resistance settings on the treadmill. Building lean muscle contributes to higher metabolism rates even when at rest. It's important to note that spot reduction (specifically targeting belly fat) through exercise alone is not possible. To achieve optimal results in reducing belly fat while walking on a treadmill, combining cardiovascular exercises with strength training and adopting healthy eating habits will yield better outcomes. So lace up those sneakers and step onto the treadmill! While it won't magically melt away your belly fat overnight, consistent walking coupled with other lifestyle modifications can certainly help you reach your fitness goals over time

How Much Should You Walk on a Treadmill to Burn Belly Fat?

This is a common question for those who are looking to shed some extra pounds around their midsection. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, incorporating regular walking into your fitness routine can definitely help in your quest for a flatter stomach. The key to burning belly fat through walking on a treadmill lies in consistency and intensity. Aim to walk at least 30 minutes every day, but don't be afraid to gradually increase the duration or intensity as you become more comfortable with the exercise. Walking at a brisk pace that elevates your heart rate will help stimulate fat burning in the body. To make your treadmill workouts more effective, consider adding incline intervals or incorporating strength training exercises into your routine. These additions can further boost calorie burn and target muscle groups that contribute to core stability. It's important to note that while walking on a treadmill can help reduce overall body fat, spot reduction is not possible. So while you may see changes in your belly area over time with consistent walking, it's essential to pair this exercise with healthy eating habits and other forms of physical activity for optimal results. Incorporating daily walks on the treadmill into your routine is an excellent way to support overall weight loss and promote better health. Remember that consistency and gradual progression are key when using this form of exercise as part of your strategy for burning belly fat.

Conclusion

Incorporating a daily 30-minute walk on a treadmill can be an effective way to burn belly fat and improve overall health. Walking is a low-impact exercise that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine, making it accessible for people of all fitness levels. By consistently engaging in this form of exercise, you can increase your metabolism, tone abdominal muscles, and reduce the accumulation of visceral fat around the midsection. However, it's important to remember that walking alone may not be enough to achieve significant weight loss or spot reduction in belly fat. To maximize the benefits of walking on a treadmill for burning belly fat, it's essential to combine it with other healthy lifestyle choices such as maintaining a balanced diet and incorporating strength training exercises. Additionally, consulting with a healthcare professional or certified trainer can help create an individualized plan tailored to your specific needs and goals. Remember that consistency is key when it comes to any fitness regimen. While walking on a treadmill every day for 30 minutes can contribute towards burning belly fat over time, results may vary depending on factors such as genetics and overall lifestyle habits. So put on those sneakers, hop onto the treadmill, and start taking steps towards shedding stubborn belly fat while improving your overall well-being!

[switchflare7]

Investing 101: Everything You Need To Know

You can make good money investing in real estate if you know what you're doing. Of course, if you don't, you can lose your shirt. Success starts with basic individual tips on the mechanics of investing in real estate. Read on to establish this foundation effectively. Before you begin investing, take stock of the market and do your research on properties. Select a location, pick out a number of properties, and then go inspect and compare them. Rent expectations, pricing and repair budgets should be factors you're considering. This will help you to weed out the bad apples. Go into the meetings that you have with potential investors with a positive mindset, but understand that a negative outcome is possible. Always have a jovial, but businesslike personality to get the people who want to invest to like you. This will go a long way and make your potential investors more comfortable. Be careful about choosing properties with strange room layouts. You may personally find it interesting, but many people don't like these strangely developed properties. They can be extremely hard sells. Picking one up without a potential buyer in mind can lead to it sitting in your inventory for months, if not years. When deciding to buy a property or not, consider how appealing it will or will not be to prospective tenants. No property is worth your money if you won't be able to sell or rent it, so consider the purchaser's perspective. How soon can you sell? How high will your profits be? These are all things to consider from the buyer's point of view before you buy. Follow investing blogs or join an online investor group. This helps you stay privy to valuable information concerning the real estate market. You could even talk to someone in a more personal atmosphere. Hire a professional inspector to come out and see the property you're thinking of putting your money into. You may think that you can just look over the property on your own to find problems, but if you're not trained you may miss some things. When problems are found, you should make sure to get some money off of the property or have the owner fix it for you. Have multiple exit strategies for a property. A lot of things can affect the value of real estate, so you're best having a short term, mid-term, and long term strategy in place. That way you can take action based off of how the market is faring. Having crypto trading bot can cost you a ton of money if things go awry quickly. Pick one core strategy and get good at it. Your choices range from buying and flipping, buying and rehabbing or buying and renting. It is easier to master one of the three choices than dabble in two or three. In general, you make the most money in the long run by buying and holding. Research the economy in the area where you plan to buy property. Poor job prospects and high unemployment rates will run down the prices of the homes. You will most likely get a small return if you get any at all. A vibrant city will increase your investment pretty quickly. See which building you can maintain best. You shouldn't just think about buying when you're dealing with real estate. Maintaining your property well is essential so the resell value remains high. It is easier to take care of a single story house than an apartment building, for example. Don't take on more than what you can handle. Steer clear of properties with prices that seem inflated or depressed. If you put too much money in, it's harder to make a decent profit. An inexpensive one will likely require a major investment of time and money to bring it up to par. You should seek out property that's priced moderately. Never invest in a piece of real estate based on pictures you see on the Internet and/or owner promises. This is an easy way to get stuck with something that may be useless. The best thing to do would be to see the property with your own eyes before investing any money. Having read the article above, you should feel more knowledgeable about real estate investing. Anyone can become a successful real estate agent when learning and sticking with what works. When it comes to real estate investing you can never really have too much information.

[boykin25jarvis]

Investing 101: Everything You Need To Know

You can make good money investing in real estate if you know what you're doing. Of course, if you don't, you can lose your shirt. Success starts with basic individual tips on the mechanics of investing in real estate. Read on to establish this foundation effectively. Before you begin investing, take stock of the market and do your research on properties. Select a location, pick out a number of properties, and then go inspect and compare them. Rent expectations, pricing and repair budgets should be factors you're considering. This will help you to weed out the bad apples. Go into the meetings that you have with potential investors with a positive mindset, but understand that a negative outcome is possible. Always have a jovial, but businesslike personality to get the people who want to invest to like you. This will go a long way and make your potential investors more comfortable. Be careful about choosing properties with strange room layouts. You may personally find it interesting, but many people don't like these strangely developed properties. They can be extremely hard sells. Picking one up without a potential buyer in mind can lead to it sitting in your inventory for months, if not years. When deciding to buy trade crypto btc usd btse or not, consider how appealing it will or will not be to prospective tenants. No property is worth your money if you won't be able to sell or rent it, so consider the purchaser's perspective. How soon can you sell? How high will your profits be? These are all things to consider from the buyer's point of view before you buy. Follow investing blogs or join an online investor group. This helps you stay privy to valuable information concerning the real estate market. You could even talk to someone in a more personal atmosphere. Hire a professional inspector to come out and see the property you're thinking of putting your money into. You may think that you can just look over the property on your own to find problems, but if you're not trained you may miss some things. When problems are found, you should make sure to get some money off of the property or have the owner fix it for you. Have multiple exit strategies for a property. A lot of things can affect the value of real estate, so you're best having a short term, mid-term, and long term strategy in place. That way you can take action based off of how the market is faring. Having no short term solution can cost you a ton of money if things go awry quickly. Pick one core strategy and get good at it. Your choices range from buying and flipping, buying and rehabbing or buying and renting. It is easier to master one of the three choices than dabble in two or three. In general, you make the most money in the long run by buying and holding. Research the economy in the area where you plan to buy property. Poor job prospects and high unemployment rates will run down the prices of the homes. You will most likely get a small return if you get any at all. A vibrant city will increase your investment pretty quickly. See which building you can maintain best. You shouldn't just think about buying when you're dealing with real estate. Maintaining your property well is essential so the resell value remains high. It is easier to take care of a single story house than an apartment building, for example. Don't take on more than what you can handle. Steer clear of properties with prices that seem inflated or depressed. If you put too much money in, it's harder to make a decent profit. An inexpensive one will likely require a major investment of time and money to bring it up to par. You should seek out property that's priced moderately. Never invest in a piece of real estate based on pictures you see on the Internet and/or owner promises. This is an easy way to get stuck with something that may be useless. The best thing to do would be to see the property with your own eyes before investing any money. Having read the article above, you should feel more knowledgeable about real estate investing. Anyone can become a successful real estate agent when learning and sticking with what works. When it comes to real estate investing you can never really have too much information.

[collinsritter3]

Investing 101: Everything You Need To Know

You can make good money investing in real estate if you know what you're doing. Of course, if you don't, you can lose your shirt. Success starts with basic individual tips on the mechanics of investing in real estate. Read on to establish this foundation effectively. Before you begin investing, take stock of the market and do your research on properties. Select a location, pick out a number of properties, and then go inspect and compare them. Rent expectations, pricing and repair budgets should be factors you're considering. This will help you to weed out the bad apples. Go into the meetings that you have with potential investors with a positive mindset, but understand that a negative outcome is possible. Always have a jovial, but businesslike personality to get the people who want to invest to like you. This will go a long way and make your potential investors more comfortable. Be careful about choosing properties with strange room layouts. You may personally find it interesting, but many people don't like these strangely developed properties. They can be extremely hard sells. Picking one up without a potential buyer in mind can lead to it sitting in your inventory for months, if not years. When deciding to buy a property or not, consider how appealing it will or will not be to prospective tenants. No property is worth your money if you won't be able to sell or rent it, so consider the purchaser's perspective. How soon can you sell? How high will your profits be? These are all things to consider from the buyer's point of view before you buy. Follow investing blogs or join an online investor group. This helps you stay privy to valuable information concerning the real estate market. You could even talk to someone in a more personal atmosphere. Hire a professional inspector to come out and see the property you're thinking of putting your money into. You may think that you can just look over the property on your own to find problems, but if you're not trained you may miss some things. When problems are found, you should make sure to get some money off of the property or have the owner fix it for you. Have multiple exit strategies for a property. A lot of things can affect the value of real estate, so you're best having a short term, mid-term, and long term strategy in place. That way you can take action based off of how the market is faring. Having no short term solution can cost you a ton of money if things go awry quickly. Pick one core strategy and get good at it. Your choices range from buying and flipping, buying and rehabbing or buying and renting. It is easier to master one of the three choices than dabble in two or three. In general, you make the most money in the long run by buying and holding. Research the economy in the area where you plan to buy property. Poor job prospects and high unemployment rates will run down the prices of the homes. You will most likely get a small return if you get any at all. A vibrant city will increase your investment pretty quickly. See which building you can maintain best. web3 ID shouldn't just think about buying when you're dealing with real estate. Maintaining your property well is essential so the resell value remains high. It is easier to take care of a single story house than an apartment building, for example. Don't take on more than what you can handle. Steer clear of properties with prices that seem inflated or depressed. If you put too much money in, it's harder to make a decent profit. An inexpensive one will likely require a major investment of time and money to bring it up to par. You should seek out property that's priced moderately. Never invest in a piece of real estate based on pictures you see on the Internet and/or owner promises. This is an easy way to get stuck with something that may be useless. The best thing to do would be to see the property with your own eyes before investing any money. Having read the article above, you should feel more knowledgeable about real estate investing. Anyone can become a successful real estate agent when learning and sticking with what works. When it comes to real estate investing you can never really have too much information.

[chamberspowell78]

Investing 101: Everything You Need To Know

You can make good money investing in real estate if you know what you're doing. Of course, if you don't, you can lose your shirt. Success starts with basic individual tips on the mechanics of investing in real estate. Read on to establish this foundation effectively. Before you begin investing, take stock of the market and do your research on properties. Select a location, pick out a number of properties, and then go inspect and compare them. Rent expectations, pricing and repair budgets should be factors you're considering. This will help you to weed out the bad apples. Go into the meetings that you have with potential investors with a positive mindset, but understand that a negative outcome is possible. Always have a jovial, but businesslike personality to get the people who want to invest to like you. This will go a long way and make your potential investors more comfortable. Be careful about choosing properties with strange room layouts. You may personally find it interesting, but many people don't like these strangely developed properties. They can be extremely hard sells. Picking one up without a potential buyer in mind can lead to it sitting in your inventory for months, if not years. When deciding to buy a property or not, consider how appealing it will or will not be to prospective tenants. No property is worth your money if you won't be able to sell or rent it, so consider the purchaser's perspective. How soon can you sell? How high will your profits be? These are all things to consider from the buyer's point of view before you buy. Follow investing blogs or join an online investor group. This helps you stay privy to valuable information concerning the real estate market. You could even talk to someone in a more personal atmosphere. Hire a professional inspector to come out and see the property you're thinking of putting your money into. You may think that you can just look over the property on your own to find problems, but if you're not trained you may miss some things. When problems are found, you should make sure to get some money off of the property or have the owner fix it for you. Have multiple exit strategies for a property. A lot of things can affect the value of real estate, so you're best having a short term, mid-term, and long term strategy in place. That way you can take action based off of how the market is faring. Having no short term solution can cost you a ton of money if things go awry quickly. sidepocket and get good at it. Your choices range from buying and flipping, buying and rehabbing or buying and renting. It is easier to master one of the three choices than dabble in two or three. In general, you make the most money in the long run by buying and holding. Research the economy in the area where you plan to buy property. Poor job prospects and high unemployment rates will run down the prices of the homes. You will most likely get a small return if you get any at all. A vibrant city will increase your investment pretty quickly. See which building you can maintain best. You shouldn't just think about buying when you're dealing with real estate. Maintaining your property well is essential so the resell value remains high. It is easier to take care of a single story house than an apartment building, for example. Don't take on more than what you can handle. Steer clear of properties with prices that seem inflated or depressed. If you put too much money in, it's harder to make a decent profit. An inexpensive one will likely require a major investment of time and money to bring it up to par. You should seek out property that's priced moderately. Never invest in a piece of real estate based on pictures you see on the Internet and/or owner promises. This is an easy way to get stuck with something that may be useless. The best thing to do would be to see the property with your own eyes before investing any money. Having read the article above, you should feel more knowledgeable about real estate investing. Anyone can become a successful real estate agent when learning and sticking with what works. When it comes to real estate investing you can never really have too much information.

[thompsontobin9]

Investing 101: Everything You Need To Know

You can make good money investing in real estate if you know what you're doing. Of course, if you don't, you can lose your shirt. Success starts with basic individual tips on the mechanics of investing in real estate. Read on to establish this foundation effectively. Before you begin investing, take stock of the market and do your research on properties. Select a location, pick out a number of properties, and then go inspect and compare them. Rent expectations, pricing and repair budgets should be factors you're considering. This will help you to weed out the bad apples. Go into the meetings that you have with potential investors with a positive mindset, but understand that a negative outcome is possible. Always have a jovial, but businesslike personality to get the people who want to invest to like you. This will go a long way and make your potential investors more comfortable. Be careful about choosing properties with strange room layouts. You may personally find it interesting, but many people don't like these strangely developed properties. They can be extremely hard sells. Picking one up without a potential buyer in mind can lead to it sitting in your inventory for months, if not years. When deciding to buy a property or not, consider how appealing it will or will not be to prospective tenants. No property is worth your money if you won't be able to sell or rent it, so consider the purchaser's perspective. How soon can you sell? How high will your profits be? These are all things to consider from the buyer's point of view before you buy. Follow investing blogs or join an online investor group. This helps you stay privy to valuable information concerning the real estate market. You could even talk to someone in a more personal atmosphere. Hire a professional inspector to come out and see the property you're thinking of putting your money into. You may think that you can just look over the property on your own to find problems, but if you're not trained you may miss some things. When problems are found, you should make sure to get some money off of the property or have the owner fix it for you. Have multiple exit strategies for a property. A lot of things can affect the value of real estate, so you're best having a short term, mid-term, and long term strategy in place. That way you can take action based off of how the market is faring. Having no short term solution can cost you a ton of money if things go awry quickly. Pick one core strategy and get good at it. Your choices range from buying and flipping, buying and rehabbing or buying and renting. It is easier to master one of the three choices than dabble in two or three. In general, you make the most money in the long run by buying and holding. Research the economy in the area where you plan to buy property. tin tức tiền ảo and high unemployment rates will run down the prices of the homes. You will most likely get a small return if you get any at all. A vibrant city will increase your investment pretty quickly. See which building you can maintain best. You shouldn't just think about buying when you're dealing with real estate. Maintaining your property well is essential so the resell value remains high. It is easier to take care of a single story house than an apartment building, for example. Don't take on more than what you can handle. Steer clear of properties with prices that seem inflated or depressed. If you put too much money in, it's harder to make a decent profit. An inexpensive one will likely require a major investment of time and money to bring it up to par. You should seek out property that's priced moderately. Never invest in a piece of real estate based on pictures you see on the Internet and/or owner promises. This is an easy way to get stuck with something that may be useless. The best thing to do would be to see the property with your own eyes before investing any money. Having read the article above, you should feel more knowledgeable about real estate investing. Anyone can become a successful real estate agent when learning and sticking with what works. When it comes to real estate investing you can never really have too much information.

[sunfishfiesta]

Ultimate Guide to Patch Pants (identifying and creating)

A Comprehensive and In Depth Guide for those with a More than Passing Interest in Patch Pants So, I’m sure most of those reading have heard of crust pants, or patch pants, or whatever you want to call them. But I have never seen a total, complete and comprehensive guide for identification and creation of truly beautiful patch pants. The terms crust pants and patch pants will be used interchangeably during this guide. Note this guide will only cover more developed crust pants and will not deal with kinderpunk pants.  I have created a number of crust/patch pants and this information comes directly from experience I have in creation of patch pants, information I have been given by other people who have created what I consider quite beautiful patch pants, as well as observations of other people’s craftsmanship both in real life and the internet. I will be using pictures from a variety of sources, but all should be collected on fuckyeahcrustpants (my patch pants archive blog), and that is where I will be linking the pictures from. Creation:  This section is going to be almost entirely writing, if you want examples of what is discussed here the identification section will help. There are a few different methods of going about making crust pants, some which yield significantly more aesthetically pleasing and genuine looking results than others. Of course a given is the longer you own them, the better they get, if you put genuine time and effort into your creation they will reflect that, careful sewing and a fine understanding of a number of different stitches and their appropriate applications will assist in your ability to mend properly, darning is a useful option but it does not have a very wide spread use among punks. It is also extremely time consuming, but I personally find it produces pleasing results. The first step when one begins a pair of crust pants is either tearing/cutting holes in them (this can result in a less genuine appearance as the holes may look artificial) or one can choose to wait for holes to develop, this results in a fine patina as well as holes which look like they have genuinely developed from wear (because they have). Having a patina underneath the layers of patches also adds to the effect as patches wear away they expose the already dirt-shined interior layer.  The next thing to consider is materials, this can include almost any kind of fabric and almost any kind of thread, although careful thought for both utilitarian and aesthetic purposes should be used for the placement of each patch and what material and thread is being used to repair the hole. It is often best to use patches which are either darker than or the same color as the base pants being created (this generally results in a more cohesive appearance), or one may choose to use white or an off tan if one prefers patina/dirt shine to be more visible. It’s important to note the lighter the fabric you use the darker dirt will appear on it.

Some of the more popular options for thread on patch pants include; artificial or real sinew, waxed dental floss, yarn, very fine strips of leather, or standard thread. Waxed floss and sinew either artificial or real hold some benefits over standard thread, it is much more durable and one may use a lighter to melt the the floss to creating a seal at the end of a line of stitches.   Popular choices for fabrics include; dark denim or standard black broadcloth, oilskin, bike or motorcycle inner tube, leather (scavenged from old couches, old leather jackets, boots, etc.) and work-wear canvas. Denim and canvas are generally softer and are best for lower wear areas or areas you don’t want to be stiff, including the mid thigh, mid shin, back of the knee and crotch. On the other hand, leather, oilskin, and inner tube are much more durable and much stronger but are also stiffer and will be uncomfortable if used in multiple layers, or used in places that are normally flexible in pants, they are best for the knees, or ass and can also be used on the front of the thigh and front of the shine, but too many layers will feel weird. If one chooses to wait for holes to form there will be an inevitable order in which the pants will get patches, it will start on both the ass and the knees. The edges of the pockets, the crotch, and the bottom cuff of the pants will fail next, and after that the front thighs and shins, back of knees and the back of the thighs and shins. Patches will slowly radiate from high wear areas similar to growth rings: Estimates of age can be made simply from view by recognizing the location of and density of patches. There are a number of different techniques to repairing each of these sections of a pair of pants, generally strips of whatever material is being used sewn with a standard straight whip stitch will suffice, but one may wish to switch up their method for aesthetic variation or utilitarian purposes.  A diagonal whip stitch or a blanket stitch around pockets or cuffs is a useful way of stopping small tears or spots of wear from spreading. One may also sew a patch overlapping the pockets or cuff on both sides sewing the perimeter of the patch and doing a running stitch or line whip stitch along the seam underneath the patch.  Repairing soft pockets is something I have not seen only limited information  about but I will cover it here, one can use pieces of white t-shirt for the inside of pockets when they fail. One can attach them through the use of dental floss or regular thread, but sinew is too thick and will be uncomfortable. It is best to put knots and melted thread nodules on the side of the pocket facing away from the leg as unless long johns are worn they will rub uncomfortably against the leg. This applies to knots and melted thread nodules in general, which should always be placed on the outside of the pants for the same reason. Belt loops can be replaced or repaired with the use of a thin strip of leather simply by sewing each side of it to the spots where the previous belt loop was.   Darning can also be used on almost any part of a pair of pants, and will provide rigidity and durability to weak areas, it can be done with or without a patch, and the patch can be placed over or under the fabric of the pants. This allows reinforcement of areas you may not want to cover because of appealing patchwork at the location in question. Traditional methods of affixing patches can be used as well. A method where ones cuts around the hole, or cuts slits to fold fabric around the edge of the hole to create an additional seam underneath which the patch is sewn using a running stitch around the perimeter followed by a whip stitch around the edge of the patch. Varying  these several repair techniques will allow you to create a more interesting and textured layer of patches.  Band patches as well as zippers and additional pockets are another consideration. First I will cover band patches, generally using moderation in the number of band patches will create the most interesting effect, having too many band patches will make you look really weird and will make the pants less interesting. Selecting bands around a specific sub-genre, or sub-culture helps create a more cohesive look and allows people to gauge how much you have in common in regards to musical interest. This is definitely not a hard rule though, as varying the types of music you have can either be funny (between extremely different genres) or simply look good.  Zippers can be used for aesthetic or utilitarian purposes, but it’s more fun to have them do something useful. If one puts a zipper along the thigh it’s nice to add a pocket underneath, you can also put them over the entrance to pockets, or entirely around a leg to allow it to be detachable. Pockets can also be added where there is a slit in the original fabric of the pants shows through between two patches simply by cutting that slit and then affixing a piece of fabric or another pocket underneath.  Some people choose to put a number of coatings on their pants to assist in the development of a patina, this may range anywhere from graphite, to coal tar, to motor oil, olive oil, or coconut, to simply rubbing dirt on them. The most attractive and genuine looking patina comes from simply allowing your pants to develop dirt shine on their own, if you live kinda gross your pants will reflect this, using them as napkins during your meals and wiping stuff from other art projects, work, or travel is a good way to build up a patina as well. Patina and dirt shine will vary in appearance depending up whether a coating was applied and depending upon your environment, if you go to a lot of shows, if you’re a house punk or a train hopper, if you work in a certain environment the patina will change in thickness, shininess, and color.  Identification: There are a number of different styles of patch pants, all from different sub genres or communities within punk. Here I will display and then explain the significance of stylistic decisions made within a selection. Generally there are variations in patch pants based on geography or sub-culture. Keep in mind these are by no means hard and fast rules but rather overarching themes I've noticed. 

This is a pair of japanese crasher crust pants, they’re characterized generally by giant knee holes mainly black or dark fabric patches, they’re often sewn without the use of dental floss, although it may still be used. Sometimes pins are attached, zippers are used heavily. They may or may not have heavy dirt shine or patina. Band patches are generally used with moderation and are usually inter-community bands. 

This is a pair of a slightly more modern style american traveling punk patch pant, they often focus more on browns and off-greys for patch color as well as utilizing white which eventually turns an off brown or black due to patina. Band patches may be used moderately to heavily depending on the person. Zippers are used more sparsely. Larger patches are generally used and the use of leather, bike inner-tube, and oilskin is much more common. North American traveling punks as depicted here will also often use overalls rather than regular pants, these are referred to by people in the traveling community as “bibs”. 

This is a pair of classic crust/stench core pants from the UK. They are characterized by heavy dirty shine, almost all large black or very dark brown patches, few band patches, light use of zippers. They also often seem to have cargo pockets, which isn’t as common on other styles.  Well that pretty much covers the 3 main styles,  there are many other variations from all over the world but these are the 3 that stuck out to me as being highly influential.  Conclusion: I hope this guide has been useful to anyone wishing to start a pair of patch pants of their own, or that it has simply been an enjoyable read for anyone who is  interested in the topic! I had a lot of fun writing this. : )

[xwestcoastwassyx]

Short Answer Quiz #3// Due- 20 NOV 2020

1. Determine what kind of social media site you are creating. Then answer the following questions, explaining your decisions. (Remember the key here is to create an ethical algorithm model).

      I would create a social media site that run as a microblog – like Twitter or Tumblr – in the sense that I would allow for users to share images, textual work, voice audios and would be able to like and repost another person’s work. The name of my microblog would be “Can You hear Me Now?” and would predominantly be used to openly discuss global issues of oppressions, racisms, sexisms, and further discriminations. The objective of “Can You Hear Me Know?” is to explicitly share your point of view on systemic issues across the glob – with no filter – urging people to listen to what they have to say. The social media blog would call for attention all across the globe and would consist of an inclusive online society where individuals are able to share posts and comment on posts to express their stance on a certain issue. Users would be “heard” as they practice a form of online social activism to address concerns that need to be addressed. My microblog would have people step out of their comfort zone, where they can search for their holistic identity to gain a better sense of who they are as a person and what major change they can do in the world by speaking their voice. However, racist remarks/comments and oppressions will be flagged and will not be acceptable on the microblog. I would establish an online culture that welcomes all ages, race, genders, and nations to come together to address the uncomfortable notions of the White Nationalists who are trying to dominant global culture. I would welcome activist and encourage them to go beyond the form of slacktivism and encourage them to create online movements that are powerful enough to be addressed offline. The algorithms I would use would, again, be tailored to an inclusive online environment. There would be no such thing as virtual redlining – as redlining can be dangerous and can be seen as a form of oppression and further discriminations among the minority races. I would make “Can You Hear Me Now?” easily available to all people coming from all types of social economic statuses. By that, I would create this microblog and structure it in the form of an application – which can be downloaded on a smartphone – and via the Internet on a computer-based tablet or desktop. For those who cannot afford technology, I would encourage users to take their online movements out to the real world – out in the streets – where everyone can be a part of the culture and join in on the new revolution to freedoms.

2. What will you measure? (ex: likes, hashtags, how long someone stays on a page, etc) Be sure to explain all your decisions.

      I will measure the amount of likes a blog post receives to better understand the direction to where my online culture is headed. For example, if I see that a Black Lives Matter page is receiving thousands of likes I will address the need and the importance in highlighting the domains that lie between the issues of oppression and discrimination against the male and female Black body. I will encourage all users to come together on this online platform to address this issue of racism and encourage users to continue to fight for what they believe in. Hashtags are a major part of modern online culture; therefore, I would encourage my users to keep enlisting hashtags in their blog posts so that it will be displayed on the majority of user’s feeds. These hashtags can share the importance of a “Blacktag” – as the “blacktag” is huge on other social media platforms for sparking an online and offline movement. As previously mentioned, I would not limit anything and would encourage my users to feel comfortable to vocalize what they believe in and would offer a platform for all cultures, race, ethnicities, and genders to vocalize the issues they face – whether it be Black Lives Matter, etc. The hastags – or blacktags – will allow other users (who may be allies) to join forces on the online blog and continue the conversation on the importance of the global issue and global movements like Black Lives Matter.

3. How will you weight these factors? (rank factors from most important to least important)

      These factors will be weighed through carful analyzation as to why users choose to go on “Can You Hear Me Now?”. For example, my executive team – software developers – would ensure that my microblog website has no restrictions and provides a free space for social activisms. However, the microblog will take into consideration the social issues the user is interested in vocalizing in. For example, Tommy is setting up an account for “Can You Hear Me Know?”, as a part of activating his account he will be asked what political issues he would like to discuss and be involved in when logging into the microblog. Let’s say Tommy says he is deciding to join “Can You hear Me Know?” because he is a gay male who constantly faces harassment and discriminations out in the offline world. He wants to be heard, he wants to connect with people who feel his pain and who want to spread love and peace in the offline and online culture. This allows for “Tommy” to connect with other users who share similar and common interests and address the issues gay men – around the globe – face in their residing country. Tommy, an American male, is now connected to gay men from Australia, The United Kingdom, Russia, etc. where they can all express their common experiences of oppression. Tommy is now able to join forces and connect on “Can You Hear Me Now?” because he feels that he is being heard for the first time and wants to vocalize how he feels. This is the most important factor of my microblog. A moderate factor would be asking for Tommy’s age so that he can be around people the same age as he is, that way they can have more of a connection and may feel more relaxed and willing to open up to one another. My microblog would be so diverse and act as a safe haven for those who wish to escape the offline world. A minor factor would be providing your religious background – although religion can be seen as a major factor, “Can You Hear Me Now?” is directed towards hearing everyone for who they are, for the social oppression they face in the offline world that stem from systemic issues. Religion is beautiful and an incredible thing to share and talk among one another, however, my blog would be more directed towards – yet again – social oppression of race, sex, culture, and gender.

4. What factors will not be measured? (what will not be measured in your algorithm and why)

      I have previously mentioned religion as being a minimal factor that would be measured, or not measure, because of the fact that my microblog aims at correction and fixing social oppression and allowing for individuals from all over the world to be heard and share their struggles they have gone through. Relationship status would not be measure in my microblog, a lot of blogs and social media websites ask for too much information – such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, no one needs to know if Tommy – a newer user of “Can You Hear Me Now?” – is single, married, in a relationship, or divorced. They only need to know what Tommy stands for – Tommy is a gay American male who is fighting for his right to live in an offline world where people would no longer judge him for his sexual preferences. Tommy is trying to connect with gay men from around the world – not for the purpose of dating – but for the purpose of expressing his hurt through vocalizing the hardships he has experienced through the act of posting a picture, a textual post, a video recording, or even the movement of a hashtag.

5. How will the model learn or adapt to new information? (this can include changes in language, etc)

      The algorithms that are place on “Do You hear Me Now?” would include programing that would make appropriate suggestions that cater and benefit to the individuals needs. This entails that if Tommy is constantly looking up Gay Rights Movements in his search bar, the algorithms and technology will automatically introduce him to a feed of the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage across the nation or a historical event such as The Stonewall riots. This is crucially important to recollect on because Tommy lives in America, the algorithms know this because when Tommy was creating his profile on “Can You hear Me Now?”, he mentioned that he lived in the United States. The algorithms will be structure to benefit the individual rather than harm them or “redline” them out of oppression and unethical standards. The algorithms work together to help Tommy stay connected and to help him on the issues of gay rights in the American offline culture.

6. What biases will be built into the model? How will this change the algorithm’s outcome?

      I think my own personal biases would definitely interfere with the creation of my microblog, which is why I would hire a team that come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences – a diverse technological team that creates the computational inputs and outputs of the algorithms. However, if I hired a group of people who thought just like I did or who went through the same experiences I did it would lead to the problem of personal bias. Being a gay male in my mid-twenties, I would probably focus too much on gay rights issues in American culture. Knowing this, as previously mentioned, I would hire a diverse team who comes from multiple backgrounds – nationalities, sex, gender, etc. – so that we can complete the mission statement of tailoring each experience to our online users.

7. How will the model live out the (un)ethical practices we have discussed?

      The model and formulation of my blog would be inclusive as it would take ethical standards into consideration. Recently – in this course – we have learned about the systemic issues of racisms in the American culture and how mass media portrays the Black body as “thuggish” and “unnatural”. “Do You Hear Me Now?” would address these issues and would promote the beauty of the Black body and black hair by applying ethical standards that help destroy the issues of oppression. I would encourage users that my blog is definitely an open space for communicating on all issues, however, I would not want my users to get too comfortable on the online platform and would want them to take their measures offline so that they can make an even bigger impact and difference in the world. I mentioned that all were welcome, and they are. But, if they are members of a hate group – such as the White Supremacists – I would not allow for that type of hate to grow any further, especially on my microblog and for what I represent. This is how I can provide an ethical standard, by allowing for all groups and people from all over the world to vocalize their oppressions and to be heard – encouraging social activism both online and offline – but, I would not tolerate the continuity of hate groups to be on my blog.

[shades-of-grayro]

Can we talk about the #aromantic tag?

So, a lot of aros get annoyed when aces post in the #aromantic tag and the post (seemingly) has nothing to do with aromanticism. [Example, example, example, example, example]

A couple of weeks ago, I had the experience of being mildly harrassed by aros on a post that I made to one of the ace blogs I run. It didn’t explicitly mention aromanticism, but it was heavily inspired by my aro experiences, and was so clearly related to aromanticism that I had people asking me why the post was relevant to asexuality. (And I did acknowledge its connection to aromanticism. I did that in the tag.) I got several aggressively-phrased comments on the post, as well as an anon ask, telling me that my post, created by an aro, about aro experiences, was not allowed to be tagged with #aromantic.

So, while there are some instances where people’s tagging practices suggest that they may conflate aromanticism with asexuality, I ask that you consider two things before messaging someone about their tagging practices:

First, be 110% positive that the person you are criticizing is not aro themselves.

If a person posting is aro, they get full discretion as to whether to tag a post as aro. Full stop. Policing how aroaces talk about their identities, forcing them to separate those experiences? Not okay, ever.

So unless you’re 100% sure that the poster is not aro, don’t tell them not to tag their stuff as aro.

The reason I’m saying this is not necessarily that there can’t be some questionable uses of the tag in these cases. It’s that, however much you’re sure that the post is inappropriately tagged? You might be wrong (as the people harassing me were). It’s better to let something somewhat questionable go than to tell an aro that they’re not allowed to tag their aro experiences with #aromantic.

And also, like... “harassment” shouldn’t be a word that can be used to describe how you approach blogs that might be tagging inappropriately anyway. If I can’t tell the difference between the tone of your messages and the tone of the exclusionists who tell me not to put ace content in the lesbian tag? You’re doing something wrong.

Second, remember that tags are not moderated spaces.

Moderated spaces allow for a few trusted users to keep an eye on things and handle posts that go against the community guidelines, so you don’t have to. In an aro moderated space, one of these community guidelines would probably be to not post ace stuff that doesn’t have explicit ties to aromanticism.

Tumblr tags are not moderated. (Besides, y’know, the harassment that happens apparently, but that’s not moderation!) They serve multiple purposes -- one is so that others can find your content. Another is so that blogs can organize their own content. And yes, that means that ace blogs will tag their content that is relevant to aromanticism with the #aromantic tag.

Wanting a moderated space is okay! Just don’t expect to get it from tumblr tags. Some good alternatives are: the aromanticism dreamwidth, pillowfort (which has an aro community space), arocalypse (sort of, the moderation isn’t great but people don’t post ace content anyways), I’m sure there are some good facebook groups, and probably more.

TL;DR: Don’t tag police. Please. Actual aros are getting caught in the crosshairs, and that’s unacceptable.

[fightersagainstnarccistic]

Fighters Against Narcissistic Abusers in HEMA

Note: Please read this article on a laptop or PC. Due to Tumblr’s mobile design you will not be able to expand the photos on a smartphone device and so it will be hard to read the text in the screenshots we show when reading this blog on a phone or tablet. Please use a PC.

This blog has been created to expose the narcissistic abusers in the HEMA (historical European martial arts) community who have been running rampant for several years trying to destroy the lives of other people for supposedly noble reasons, but are in fact merely a way for them to acquire power and control over other people as part of their untreated narcissistic personality disorders which are blatantly obvious through examination of their statements and actions.

We have had enough.

As some of these people have formed virtue signaling groups such as ‘Fighters against Racism’ and ‘Fighters against Fascism’ to mask their true actions under a false banner of virtue, we decided to title this blog ‘ Fighters Against Narcissistic Abusers in HEMA ‘ to spin the tables on them.

What you will find in this blog are examples from the literally thousands of screenshots we have archived over the years of extremely abusive behavior designed to bully and harass other people in the HEMA community solely to serve the agendas of certain narcissistic individuals, who often band together to form witch hunts against others. They frequently distort and misrepresent facts and mix in blatant lies, and yet provide very little proof for their accusations. Everyone is just supposed to suspend all objectivity, all critical thinking and just “listen and believe”.

Well we aren’t doing that. This blog is going to shine a huge ass spotlight on all of the bullshit you have been doing and expose you for what you really are; Narcissistic Abusers

You are ruining HEMA and killing it’s ability to grow. 

You are the ones actually making HEMA an unsafe space, as you bully and harass anyone based on unsubstantiated hearsay. You make HEMA where intimidation and bullying rule people.

It is time for you stop your shit.

And as there is only one way you will ever stop -- being exposed for what you are in the light of day -- so that is precisely what we will do.

It is very critical that we say upfront this blog is not meant to harass or mock people for having a mental illness. We empathize with those who suffer from such disorders. However when people with untreated mental disorders such as severe cases of narcissism start abusing other people instead of seeking treatment for their illnesses we have to draw a line in the sand. These kinds of bad faith actors who invent elaborate conspiracies designed to destroy other people’s lives and careers to satisfy their own desire for power is turning people in the HEMA community against each other, and the only people this fighting benefits are the narcissists pulling the strings.

As these people have spent years slowly acquiring influence and power to use to harass others we have posted this blog and the evidence against them anonymously. You must look at the screenshots we show you that provide the evidence for what they are doing and form your own conclusions.

We’re going to start with a particular club that is at the very heart of this infection of narcissistic abuse in the HEMA community. We’re going to start with Valkyrie Western Martial Arts and its coaches, as well as some of its members who participate in the harassment of others. While there are several other groups we will eventually get around to exposing, we’re starting with Valkyrie because over the past few weeks they have slandered another club in their city with the specific aim of causing that club to be shunned by the rest of the HEMA community using deception, lies and manipulative tactics. Their goal is to financially ruin that club and gain its members and influence for itself, as the club in question, Academie Duello, was working with other clubs in Canada to form a new federation and Valkyrie has made allegations claiming abuse from many years ago in an effort to derail these efforts, as Valkyrie desires to control the new federation and has a long standing vendetta against Duello based on biases of its founder.

For those unaware of the accusations against Duello, a copy can be read at https://www.reddit.com/r/wma/comments/hv07on/an_important_letter_for_the_hema_community_to_read/

And this is Duello’s response to the allegations

https://www.academieduello.com/open-letter-2020/

We’re not employees of Academie Duello but we have some familiarity with the Vancouver British Columbia HEMA scene. We don’t believe the accusations against Duello and Devon Boorman, and we know things about Valkyrie that are “open secrets” that frequently have been looked the other direction due to the influence people such as Kaja Sadowski have gained and how she will drop her wrath on anyone that dares to speak out against the cult of Valkyrie Western Martial Arts.

It is our belief that Valkyrie has been extremely disingenuous in their allegations against Duello. They haven’t provided any real evidence for the accusations they have made and are relying entirely on perceived integrity their coaches possess, but if you actually know what Valkyrie does and who is behind the club you’d realize they are not very credible people. To show this we’re going to write a series of posts examining some of the key individuals involved in Valkyrie and showing why these people are NOT credible and you should NOT believe what they say at face value. We’re going to reveal how they are actually guilty of much of what they accuse Duello of and are projecting their own failings to attack Duello unfairly.

And in the process of doing this, we will prove with the information contained in this blog that Valkyrie Western Martial Arts is a cult that teaches dangerous self-defense bullshido to vulnerable populations of people (women and LGBTQ) who have little to no prior experience with the martial arts and are easy for them to manipulate with love bombing tactics.

Valkyrie is, essentially, a cult with many similarities to the Nxivm cult ( https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/30/magazine/sex-cult-empowerment-nxivm-keith-raniere.html ) in that the founder is a man who uses pseudo-intellectual scientific sounding bullshit to make people feel “empowered” and largely uses women students / co-leaders to assist him with recruiting vulnerable populations of people into the cult.  

Unlike Nxivm this cult has been founded by a man, Randy Packer, who makes statements like this about what he loves about the martial arts,

http://boxwrestlefence.com/blog/2020/04/28/expectations-and categorizations/

A man who has violent tendencies and thoughts about others when he gets jealous,

And has by his own acknowledgement has had obsessive violent thoughts for many years,

And this cult of his through the efforts of people like Kaja Sadowski has been spreading its talons deep into the heart of the HEMA community and manipulating people for far too long. Now they are seeking to destroy a club in their city, Academie Duello, for their own purposes to gain more control and power.

It’s time they were revealed for what they really are.

The following are direct links to several posts with our evidence for the accusations made against Valkyrie. As there is so much information that has to be shared in order to fully explain the situation with Valkyrie and why they are not to be trusted with so little proof provided for their accusations against Academie Duello, we are dividing this into multiple sections. Please read them in chronological order to fully understand the depths of the rabbit hole that is Valkyrie Western Martial Arts.

( note you can submit info to us at  fightersagainstnarccistic@gmail.com if you’d like to contribute)

Exposing Valkyrie’s Bullshido 

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/624593303312171008/scrutinizing-valkyries-bullshido

How is Valkyrie a Cult?

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/624517817683886080/why-valkyrie-western-martial-arts-in-vancouver

What Valkyrie Doesn’t Want You To Know

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/624524819434749952/what-valkyrie-western-martial-arts-doesnt-want

Valkyrie disregards other women than themselves and manipulates vulnerable people

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/624529060854448128/valkyrie-western-martial-arts-disregards-other

More of Valkyrie’s Bullshido

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/624537330636685312/more-of-valkyrie-western-martial-arts-bullshido

Additional Narcissistic Abusers who assist Valkyrie

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/624699657862381568/additional-narcissistic-abusers-who-assist

In Conclusion

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/624699667915128832/in-conclusion

ADDITIONAL STUFF TO READ

The Historical Fencing FAR group blog that has a guide on how to create a “Liberation Gym”

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/626484943349022720/far-historical-fencing-blog-that-promotes-antifa

How Moderator at /wma Censors Criticism Against Valkyrie and Promotes Their Story

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/626365181118840832/abuse-by-detrio-moderator-at-reddit-wma-to-help

Jason Barrons Responds to Allegations, and our Response Back

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/626474814452924416/jason-barrons-responds-to-our-comments-and-our

2nd Response to Jason Barrons

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/627579410578587648/to-jason-barrons-again

The deal with Kat Fanning president of HEMA Alliance

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/627199444351320064/the-deal-with-kat-fanning-president-of-hema

HEMAA club discrimination based on race

https://fightersagainstnarccistic.tumblr.com/post/627588985429114880/racial-discrimination-by-hemaa-clubs

[switchflare7]

Investing 101: Everything You Need To Know

You can make good money investing in real estate if you know what you're doing. Of course, if you don't, you can lose your shirt. Success starts with basic individual tips on the mechanics of investing in real estate. Read on to establish this foundation effectively. Before you begin investing, take stock of the market and do your research on properties. Select a location, pick out a number of properties, and then go inspect and compare them. Rent expectations, pricing and repair budgets should be factors you're considering. This will help you to weed out the bad apples. Go into the meetings that you have with potential investors with a positive mindset, but understand that a negative outcome is possible. Always have a jovial, but businesslike personality to get the people who want to invest to like you. This will go a long way and make your potential investors more comfortable. Be careful about choosing properties with strange room layouts. You may personally find it interesting, but many people don't like these strangely developed properties. They can be extremely hard sells. Picking one up without a potential buyer in mind can lead to it sitting in your inventory for months, if not years. When deciding to buy a property or not, consider how appealing it will or will not be to prospective tenants. No property is worth your money if you won't be able to sell or rent it, so consider the purchaser's perspective. How soon can you sell? How high will your profits be? These are all things to consider from the buyer's point of view before you buy. Follow investing blogs or join an online investor group. This helps you stay privy to valuable information concerning the real estate market. You could even talk to someone in a more personal atmosphere. Hire a professional inspector to come out and see the property you're thinking of putting your money into. You may think that you can just look over the property on your own to find problems, but if you're not trained you may miss some things. When problems are found, you should make sure to get some money off of the property or have the owner fix it for you. Have multiple exit strategies for a property. A lot of things can affect the value of real estate, so you're best having a short term, mid-term, and long term strategy in place. That way you can take action based off of how the market is faring. Having no short term solution can cost you a ton of money if things go awry quickly. Pick one core strategy and get good at it. Your choices range from buying and flipping, buying and rehabbing or buying and renting. It is easier to master one of the three choices than dabble in two or three. In general, you make the most money in the long run by buying and holding. Research the economy in the area where you plan to buy property. Poor job prospects and high unemployment rates will run down the prices of the homes. You will most likely get a small return if you get any at all. A vibrant city will increase your investment pretty quickly. See which building you can maintain best. You shouldn't just think about buying when you're dealing with real estate. Maintaining your property well is essential so the resell value remains high. It is easier to take care of a single story house than an apartment building, for example. Don't take on more than what you can handle. Steer clear of properties with prices that seem inflated or depressed. If you put too much money in, it's harder to make a decent profit. An inexpensive one will likely require a major investment of time and money to bring it up to par. scalper bot should seek out property that's priced moderately. Never invest in a piece of real estate based on pictures you see on the Internet and/or owner promises. This is an easy way to get stuck with something that may be useless. The best thing to do would be to see the property with your own eyes before investing any money. Having read the article above, you should feel more knowledgeable about real estate investing. Anyone can become a successful real estate agent when learning and sticking with what works. When it comes to real estate investing you can never really have too much information.

[phoenix-downer]

Hello! I haven't played KH III yet but I plan to. I have come across some really hateful posts on tumblr and even twitter about Sora and Kairi being together. It appears some people are really upset that Sora and Riku didn't become a thing and have downplayed Sora x Kairi's relationship as something as forced and not having chemistry. I had no idea this was even a thing. Can you tell me where this hostility came from? I thought it was obvious that they had feelings for each other.

Hello! Thanks for the ask! There’s a lot to examine here, but I’ll do my best to try to tackle the whole issue with tact and empathy. Light/very vague spoilers for K/H/3, E/ndgame, and F/M/A follow (with slashes so they hopefully don’t show up in the tags).

First of all, I’m so sorry you’ve stumbled across those kinds of tweets and posts. If I could, I’d shield everyone from having to deal with such hatred and negativity about something they enjoy. Doesn’t matter what you ship; no one deserves to deal with that level of toxicity. 

Imagine going into a room and hearing people talk loudly about something you love, talk about how much they hate it and how much it sucks. Doesn’t make you feel very welcome, does it? But that’s exactly what’s happening here - you’re not the only one who’s noticed this. I have had to block or mute so many people because of the kind of bashing you describe. People purposely tagging their hate so that fans can see it, saying nasty things and picking fights in a way that makes you wonder what they get out of being so cruel and vicious. 

I’ve seen it so much that I’m extra sensitive to it now too; I block much more quickly than I did in the past. And I would advise other people to do the same. You don’t owe anyone access to your social media. They’re not entitled to your time or energy, either. You don’t owe it to them to read their hate. By blocking them, you take away part of their audience, you take away their attention. And the thing is, they want that attention. They want to make other people angry and miserable because they’re angry and miserable. And you don’t have to give them the satisfaction. 

Sadly, because twitter and tumblr have such poor moderation, no one running these sites is doing much to stop these people. In fact, the platforms even encourage that kind of behavior, because the loudest people get the most attention. So that encourages and emboldens the kind of nasty behavior you’re seeing.

Now, this is not to say there is never room for criticism, because there is, but that is a very different thing from what you’re describing, which is plain old bashing. Criticism and critique are offered in the hope that something will improve; bashing is done to express pure vitriol, and it isn’t productive for anyone. It might feel good in the moment, but in the end it just leaves people bitter and empty. 

There are plenty of people critiquing K/H and how the games went and how the various character arcs unfolded and how the relationships developed, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Shutting down all criticism isn’t healthy; it should be allowed and encouraged, as constructive criticism leads to healthy dialogue, both with other fans and with S/quare E/nix. And Square has listened to fans in the past; they’ve fixed issues with gameplay that occurred when 1.5 and 2.5 were ported to the PS4 and converted to 60 fps, for example.

Neither is there anything wrong with venting to a close friend in a private setting - DMs, PMs, on your personal blog or twitter account with the ship you’re criticizing censored somehow so that everyone who likes it doesn’t have to stumble across your venting. Heaven knows I’ve had to vent a lot to stay in the fandom without lashing out. The issue is when someone thinks it’s okay to force their anger and negativity onto other people who don’t want to see it or hear it. 

So the question is, why are we stumbling across such strong feelings? Because it’s clear people feel pretty strongly about all this. 

I don’t think there’s an easy answer as to why this is happening, but I’ll take a shot at explaining what might’ve happened all the same. I’m sure if you asked someone else, they might give you a different answer, and it’s worth getting multiple perspectives. This is just my two cents, and naturally, it’s going to be biased towards my experiences and preferences. 

The shipwars in the K/ingdom H/earts fandom have been nasty for years. From what I can gather, they got really bad when KH2 was released, though I’m sure there was probably drama before then. S*kai fans and S*riku fans did not see eye to eye on how that game went, and it’s all been downhill ever since. People on both sides have been mean and nasty, I’ve seen them be nasty, hurling insults and slurs and accusing each other of awful things to the point that the question of “who started it” is pretty much moot at this point. A more productive question would be, “how can we end it and get along, or at least start treating each other better?” 

Now, since I ship S*kai (obviously), I’ll share why this is such a touchy subject for me personally. I’ve been in fandom for a while now, and something I’ve noticed is just how much fans tend to hate female characters because of sexism and internalized misogyny.   

I was in the M/C/U fandom before this, and Sh*ron’s actress got death threats around the time C/ivil W/ar came out from angry shippers. And then P*ggy’s actress has likewise been harassed after E/ndgame came out by, again, angry shippers. I was a big F/M/A fan back in the day, and W*nry got so much hate from, you guessed it, angry shippers. I remember a friend back then rolling her eyes and bashing W*nry, and when I asked her why she hated her, she couldn’t really give me a clear answer other than that she was “whiny.” 

Heaven forbid a female character not be completely perfect. 

Over and over, I saw this pattern repeating. A female character gets hate because there is a popular alternate pairing that she “gets in the way of.” Even before I had the vocabulary to talk about it, the hatred just struck me as very gendered. I never saw that level of hatred for any of the male characters unless they were written to be hated (hello Shou T*cker). And I was likewise harsher on female characters than on their male counterparts. It took me years to realize what I was doing and to try to put a stop to it. 

So then I came to the K/ingdom H/earts fandom with all that background and baggage, dealing with years of people hating characters I liked and looked up to and identified with, and I saw the same thing happening again. Yet another female character getting nasty hate because of her gender, because she dared to like a boy who was shipped with another boy. Because she dared to fall in love. How dare she have feelings, how dare she be feminine, how dare she wear pink and have a flowery Keyblade. How dare her strength of heart be stronger than her physical strength. There is only one kind of strength that matters, and it’s how hard you can kick someone’s ass (wrong, wrong, wrong, and one look at the whole power of friendship thing this series revolves around would tell you that). 

How dare K*iri not be an instant expert at fighting, which is cruel and ironic because if she was an instant expert at fighting, everyone would be crying Mary Sue. How dare she sass and tease S*ra, she’s such a bitch. Oh, she doesn’t tease him as much in K/H/3 and is more gentle and supportive because he’s going through hell and nearly loses everything and she knows he needs her support now more than ever? She’s a complete pushover! 

See what I mean by how hard people are on female characters? K*iri can’t win no matter what she does. She could have the best character arc ever post K/H/3 and people would still find something to complain about. That’s not to say I don’t have issues with how she’s written, I just think the criticisms against her tend to be way overblown. There aren’t enough discussions about how she could improve moving forward (though I have seen them, and thank you to those of you who do have them!), instead people just write her off completely as useless and worthless and want to improve her character by… dropping her out of the story completely (and yes, I’ve run into someone who actually thought this would be a good thing and always felt the need to talk about it, and it absolutely drove me up the wall). 

And worst of all, she can’t win because S*ra fell in love with her. Really, it’s ironic that she gets as much hate as she does for something S*ra did. She had no control over S*ra falling in love with her, and yet she is absolutely despised by people because he did. She isn’t “good enough” for him apparently, whatever that’s supposed to mean.  

I share all this to explain why I was so sensitive to the issue coming in. I saw the same thing happening I’d experienced time and again and I was so exhausted. So tired of it. I didn’t want to deal with it again, and I was on my guard right from the start. Especially because it’s so normalized in online KH communities to bash K*iri and S*kai. The major ones, too, with lots of people and a wide range of (or lack thereof) of shipping preferences, not just dedicated shipping groups. Try to go an entire discussion without seeing it come up… it’s a lot harder than you might think. 

At first I tried to be patient and understanding. Other people have different tastes, and I wanted to be understanding of that. But after years of watching the bashing happen, my patience ran thin. I was sick of seeing it enabled in major K/H communities, sick of seeing mods refuse to put a stop to it, or worse, low-key join in with the bashing, sick of having to put up with so much negativity when all I wanted was somewhere to discuss something I enjoyed. Some people seemed almost gleeful, almost eager in their bashing; any time K*iri was brought up, they felt compelled to express their hatred for her. They were more obsessed with her than her actual fans were; felt more passionately (albeit negatively) about S*kai than some actual S*kai shippers did. 

When I reached that point, the point where I was tempted to be negative and snappy and rude, I knew I couldn’t engage with certain people anymore. So I stopped trying. I searched for S*kai fans here on tumblr and stuck with them. I didn’t want to add to an already tense situation, and thankfully, there are other people who feel the same way (but more on that later). 

And on the S*riku side of things, some of them have shared that they have been told nasty homophobic things for shipping S*riku. And for many of them, I’m sure S*riku is a way of expressing their identity, a way of exploring their feelings and expressing them in a safe, welcoming way with fellow fans who get what they’re going through. Representation has gotten better in recent years (though it still has a long way to go), but back when the K/H games were first coming out, things were different, and people had to take what they could get from canon and run with it if they wanted to see more content that represented them. 

I’ve also seen a few people say that certain S*kai fans went out of their way to message them and rub what happened in K/H/3 in their faces. That kind of gloating is bound to upset anyone, yikes. Canon has become the new gold standard for shipping in the last decade or so, and it has sadly been weaponized in the ever-nastier ship wars, when really, a ship’s value shouldn’t be based on how “canon” it is but on the joy it brings to people. 

So yeah, we have a situation where enough people on both sides were treating others poorly that everyone got defensive, because how could you not when people keep attacking something you love, especially if you feel strongly about it/associate it with your identity? And that made people more likely to lash out, and when they did, people got even more defensive, and the cycle repeated, over and over and over again. 

And you know how I mentioned I sought refuge with likeminded fans? I think that happened all over the fandom. People seek out those who will support them and support their beliefs and form identities and communities based around them… and that’s a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, it’s great to get so much support, especially if you’re seeking refuge from a particularly nasty ship war. Having a safe place to vent and unwind and finally get to talk about what you love without fear of getting hate over it is awesome.

On the other hand, things like echo chambers, confirmation bias, groupthink, and the false consensus effect flourish in those kinds of situations. If all you hear is that XYZ pairing must be canon or will be canon in a future game from the group of people you’ve surrounded yourself with, and everyone enthusiastically agrees because everyone ships the same thing you do and of course no one is going to rain on that parade, it can come as quite a shock when a new piece of canon comes out and doesn’t align to your expectations. Especially if you’ve spent years expecting canon to align with your expectations. 

We lose something when we can’t engage in healthy dialogue with people who disagree with us. Our perceptions get warped, our memories might even get warped, and what we could’ve sworn was canon… we might be surprised to see wasn’t, when we revisit the source material with a more critical eye or listen to someone who sees things differently than we do. 

But how can we have that healthy dialogue when there’s been so much bad blood? How can we listen to each other when there’s no trust? It’s nearly impossible, so instead we reinforce the beliefs and ideas our own communities already hold fast to, and the cycle continues. We draw lines in the sand separating “us” vs. “them” and don’t give each other a chance. Not only does this alienate people on opposite ends of the shipping spectrum, it also alienates multishippers because they’re considered “traitors” to both sides, and that is an uncomfortable place to be. 

I think that’s why you find the whole thing so jarring. I’m guessing you might not be as heavily involved with the fandom as I am, and have thus been largely immune from the perils of echo chambers and confirmation bias. So for you it must seem really weird that something that seems clear to you is so contentious to other people. I don’t say this to throw shade at anyone, because I know the same thing would’ve happened if the pairings had gotten switched around. It’s more of an observation of a phenomenon I’ve seen happen over and over again throughout the years. 

So all of that is to say, things are tense because of all these backgrounds and experiences and histories people bring into the fandom. No one exists in a vacuum, and things were already tense before K/H/3 even came out. K/ingdom H/earts has been such an important part of many people’s lives and growing up experiences that they feel a deep connection to it and almost a sense of ownership of it. It’s a shared story, a shared experience. It belongs to all of us, in a way, and yet it’s still N*mura’s baby.

And that’s where we run into more issues. How much say should fans have in a work of art? Does the creator get the final say in interpretation, or should she accept that once her creation has been released into the world, it’s up to other people to interpret what she meant? There are no easy answers to these kinds of questions, and they’re widely debated and discussed (see: the whole death of the author debacle). 

However, while I think feeling a sense of ownership and investment in a piece of art is totally fine, it crosses the line when it gets into the realm of entitlement. By this I do not mean asking for more representation, because that is a perfectly good thing to ask for; I mean demanding that the creators cater to your whims… or else. I mean contacting people who worked on the game on twitter and demanding they change the story to make it “right.” I mean directly telling one of the VAs you want her replaced because you thought she did a bad job. And yes, I am talking about actual stuff I’ve seen happen in this very fandom. All of that has also left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and other people I’ve talked to have felt the same. 

That being said, shipping in and of itself is not the problem. For every nasty tweet and bashing post out there, there are plenty of kind and good people who are just there to enjoy their ships. Lovely artists and talented writers and skilled gif makers and editors creating a wealth of beautiful content for something they love. People who would never harass others for their shipping preferences and are disgusted by those who do. Unfortunately, they’re not the ones getting the attention, and they’re probably not the ones you’re going to run into if you ship a different ship, as they tend to stick to their own spaces out of courtesy and respect. 

This means that the people you are more likely to run into are the ones who want to pick fights. The ones who bash and stir up drama and tell people to kill themselves for shipping XYZ. While there are plenty of people being cruel and nasty and toxic, there are good people in the fandom too. Kind, caring people who will see you as a person first and not an XYZ, even if they don’t agree with you on everything. They’re quiet(er), because kindness isn’t usually flashy and showy, but they’re here. You just have to know how to find them.   

Thanks for the ask! I tried to answer this as fairly as I could, based on my observations and things I’ve been stewing over for a while now, so I hope it sheds more light on the situation.