#update: site page no longer exists

[kimdokjas]

wait wait, what’s the change tumblr did to the reblog chains ? 🥲🥲🥲 I’m so lost

okay so basically, let's say you see a post on your dash

before the update, if you clicked on a url, you could do 3 things:

view that specific reblog on the blog you follow (A)

view the previous reblog on the blog A reblogged it from (B)

view the original post on op's blog (C)

however, staff recently implemented an update where clicking on a url no longer takes you to that specific post. now, clicking on a url just takes you to the blog itself.

this means that you now get 5 things:

view ONLY that specific reblog on the blog you follow (A) -> changed location near header. also, you will now ONLY see that post and nothing else

view ONLY the original post on op's blog (C) -> changed location near header. you will only see that post and nothing else. and ONLY if the op hasn't deleted it, otherwise it just shows an error

view the blog of the person you follow (D)

view the blog of the person D reblogged it from (F) -> option B no longer exists

view the blog of the op (E)

you might be thinking: "cool! i get more options so that's good, right?" well, no.

there are SEVERAL things wrong with this and it goes beyond the prev tags issue

1) first of all, it's counterintuitive that A and C changed locations to the area near the header, especially if your userbase was already used to the previous functions. it just seems like horrible UX design to me but let's put that aside for now.

2) as you can see, option B which allowed you to see the previous reblog of a post no longer exists.

now, if you click on the previous url, you will just be taken to their entire blog. you can no longer view the post itself.

someone asked staff about this, and they replied in this post that the change was INTENTIONAL and if you want to view the previous reblog you would have to "go through the notes view".

to borrow what someone else said:

basically, this update just killed the prev tags culture in one fell swoop.

(sure, you can still use it to reply directly to the person you're reblogging from, but it's now literally useless to use "prev tags" for everyone else involved. sure, you can choose to copy tags or peer review them, but again, if people will have to copy them then the less people are likely to use them, and not every prev lends itself to peer-reviewing imo)

now, listen. i know not everyone likes the prev tags culture, but it just seems like such a poorly-thought decision to kill a culture that like... half of your entire userbase uses (see this poll as a quick reference) and that's UNIQUE to your site and sets you apart from other social media.

but it's also not even just prev tags. let's say you want to remove an annoying addition on a post's reblog chain? you can no longer do that.

however, i feel like this is the most important point:

regardless of how you may feel about the prev tags culture, the pure UI aspect of it should remain

what i mean by this is: even if you don't like prev tags, simply 1) being able to access the reblog chain, and 2) clicking on a post and actually have it take you to their BLOG (and not just a page with that one single post) is literally essential navigation.

this update threatens to drive down user engagement (which is already critically low) by making it harder to navigate. which is actually another point:

3) even if you click on A and C now to view those specific posts, it's NOT the same as it used to be.

before, you could view the reblog directly on the blog. so you could just scroll down and see the other posts leading up to it. now, you will be taken to a page where you will ONLY see that post and nothing else.

but also, you can no longer easily navigate other people's blogs.

you know how sometimes you would see like 50 notifications of someone going through an entire tag on your blog? that's going to happen a lot less, i'm afraid.

let's suppose you want to go to op's blog because they're an artist and you want to see more of their art. so you click on C and see that the tag they use for posts with their art is "#my art"

cool! before, you could just click on that tag and immediately view ALL of their art as long as the posts have that tag.

but now, if you click on that tag, it will take you to the ENTIRE tumblr tag with literally all the posts that everyone in the history of time has tagged with that specific tag.

now, to do the same thing that just took 2 clicks before, you would have to: click on C to view the post -> look for the tag you want to navigate -> click E to view their whole blog -> scroll and look for a post that just so happens to have that tag (the search function is literally useless) and hope to god that there's a recent one or you'll have to scroll for ages or simply give up -> if you happen to find it, click on that tag to navigate their posts.

you see how this is counterproductive, right? you see how this can literally drive down engagement with content creators, right?

if you make people's blogs harder to navigate, you will literally drive down the number of likes and reblogs on their posts, which have already been steadily declining for years now.

4) options D and E to view the blogs and not the posts are literally useless because you could already access other people's blogs before. you just had to click on their url to view their blogs starting from that specific post AND you could choose to just refresh it to view their newest posts.

either way, the change just seems completely unnecessary. and again, it's not just about the prev tags culture but about basic UI.

so what can we do about it?

i normally don't advocate for flooding staff with messages but i do feel like this is one of the worst updates staff has ever done (and that's saying something) and something needs to change.

even if they don't retcon the entire update, that's fine, but staff could at least add the option to view the reblog chain as a different feature (maybe even opt-in) for example. there are better ways to go about this than just axing an entire existing feature.

also, this same issue that makes it harder to navigate blogs needs to change. i feel like content creators will be especially affected by this unless this changes because you can no longer easily navigate their tags, so it will inevitably drive down engagement.

so please, contact staff and let them know we want a change.

you can contact support here!

here's a template for a possible message you could send, but feel free to edit it. (under category you can choose "Feedback")

Hi, I would like to politely request a change to the recent update that affects the reblog chain of posts. Regardless of the "prev tags" culture itself, the UI aspect of being able to view the reblog chain of a post is essential for navigation on this website. Even adding it as a separate, opt-in feature would be a huge help. Additionally, clicking on a post and then on one of the tags now takes you to the entire tumblr tag instead of the tag on that blog, which makes it harder to navigate blogs. Both of these issues have the potential to drive down user engagement by actively making it harder to navigate Tumblr, but especially for content creators. I hope you can do something to address these issues as soon as possible. Thanks in advance and have a nice day.

also, if you can and/or want, reblogs are appreciated to help spread the word!

that's pretty much the gist of the issue from what i've seen, but if anyone else has anything to add or a different way we could contact staff to make ourselves heard, please feel free to let me know!

TLDR: it's not just about prev tags, this update affects basic functionality and content creators as well

Update Sept 07, 2024: this issue was "fixed" a few months back, although with some caveats / downgrades. You can check out this post for how to view the reblog chain, but all the other issues addressed in this post still remain.

[wearesorcerer]

This could potentially be big. Screenshots from someone in a Facebook group providing his professionally-affected opinion:

Basically, if any of this is true, you could expect Paizo et al to sue WotC/Hasbro. I would love to see that happen, personally, but it all depends on how likely any of the above actually is to work. Like, if 5.5/6e turns out to be as crappy as 4e was, this will just be WotC shooting itself in the foot again (though probably not enough to kill it). So far, I've only heard good things mechanically and bad things for the playerbase, but they have all been vague suggestions with no concrete details.

A Concrete Example

The Hypertext d20 SRD was constructed under 3.5 as exactly what its name suggests: a self-interlinked reference document for everything in the system. Prior to its existence, the SRD was a collection of (possibly rich) text documents without page numbers or other means of easy reference. The Hypertext SRD included all OGL material from print sources it could find, so includes ~85% of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, Expanded Psionics Handbook, Epic Level Handbook, Arcana Unearthed, and some bits from Deities & Demigods. It has other useful tools, like an encounter calculator and spell search. For the longest time, it was the only thing like it. Other sites (DnD Tools, Forgotten Realms Helps) eventually sprang up with more content; DnD Tools has been taken down numerous times for violating the OGL, while Realms Helps has stayed under the radar for some reason.

At some point, the d20srd webmaster updated it to include Pathfinder (seemingly all, but arranged by book like how Paizo's PRD was, which is deeply unhelpful) and some 5e (limited entirely to the core three books). This was long after d20pfsrd launched; that site is modeled off of the 3.5 d20srd site in organization and is amazeballs.

Since this webmaster has published 5e material on this site and since the new OGL possibly interprets that as accepting its terms, if this new OGL were legal, he could be sued to take down his entire site (or at least the perennially helpful portions) because it is no longer valid. (Per the screenshots, this is only half hypothetical: I know WotC did do this when 4e came out to fanpages that had 3.5 and 4e material because they didn't want competition from their own product.) This would leave only unauthorized (DnD Tools) or status unclear (Forgotten Realms Helps) archives. We've already lost reams of 3.5 material because WotC deleted its 3rd ed. archives (they used to publish stuff online regularly).

[prokopetz]

hey do you have any other socials? Like pillowfort or something?

I have a Pillowfort account I literally never update because the way the site works is totally antithetical to how I prefer to interact with people; I'm considering looking into getting a cohost account to see if that works any better once this 200-word RPG jam wraps up, assuming Tumblr lasts that long.

(You needn't worry about me dropping off the face of the planet because Tumblr blew up, if that's your concern. I've maintained a personal home page on private hosting for longer than any of the current crop of social media sites have existed, and I keep it updated with where to find me – just bookmark prokopetz.net.)

[rustbeltjessie]

To what purpose, April, do you return again? (or: finally, a pinned post for April)

Hi all. I'm Jessie Lynn McMains, aka Rust Belt Jessie. I'm an Xennial/Elder Millenial (please don't call me a Geriatric Millenial, thank you) writer/artist/zine-maker/etc. (I wear many hats.) I'm queer and nonbinary/genderfluid, and as far as pronouns go, I’m okay with any human pronoun (they and she are my most-used, but I like he, too, and I especially like it when people switch up the pronouns they use for me). I’m disabled and neurodivergent.

I live with my partner and our two kiddos, both of whom are also neurodivergent, and right now I’m supporting all of us on whatever money I earn. I do freelance copywriting and editing as my main thing, but I also make a decent chunk of my income from selling my zines and books and pins and whatever else I make, so the more I sell, the better able I am to pay bills and take care of my family.

Through my Ko-fi, you can buy my zines and books (I have both poetry and prose available) and pins, as well as commission me to make you a music-inspired mini-collage or hire me to edit your own writing. Or also just throw me a few bucks if you appreciate the content I make available for free.

If you live outside the US (I can only ship within the US via Ko-fi, because setting up shipping for multiple countries is a pain the butt), or just prefer to purchase something or donate via a different platform, I also have PayPal and Venmo (@ JessieLynnMcMains).

I also have a Substack newsletter. I try to send something out at least once a month. Sometimes it's a longer piece about music and nostalgia (I recently started a series called These Fucking Songs, for just that purpose), sometimes it's just updates on what I'm up to, sometimes it's something else. I'm currently working on one about poetry, and my writing process, and revision.

As if that weren't enough, this month I'm doing a 30/30 on the Tupelo Press site, which not only means I have to write a poem every day to be posted the next day, but I am also fundraising for Tupelo Press. My goal is to raise $350 by the end of the month. You can follow along with my daily poems here (the newest is always at the top; scroll down to read previous days), and the fundraising page is here. (I'm also offering some cool incentives for people who donate; more info about all that is available on the fundraising page.)

I'm pro-trans, pro-vaccine, pro-sex worker, pro-abortion, pro-Black Lives Matter. I'm for harm reduction for any drug user or addict, meaning I want them to be able to use drugs as safely as possible, rather than forcing them into rehab or incarcerating them. I'm anti-censorship and anti-fascist. I believe everyone, everyone, should have a safe place to sleep and enough to eat without having to earn it. I consider myself an anarcho-socialist, basically, but I do vote. I'm telling you all that because if you are vehemently against any of those things, we'll probably not get along.

I'm a forever-goth/punk who loves all kinds of music. (Things on heavy rotation for me as I write this are: The Replacements, Einstürzende Neubauten, and Oliver Nelson.) I'm femme but I'm a disaster femme; when I use nailpolish it's always sloppy and/or chipped, when I wear eyeliner it's always crooked and/or smeared, and I am incapable of not ripping a hole or two in every pair of tights and stockings I own. I love art and film and theater and literature and music. I'm a Shakespeare stan, I love growing my own vegetables, I collect souvenir pennies and stick and poke tattoos. I'm always a slut in theory, even when not always in practice. I'm perpetually nostalgic, melancholy, and restless. I spend all my free time posting pictures of myself on the internet and trying to prove I'm punk to anyone that'll listen.

Want more Jessie content? There's my website (still under construction, but it exists). Or you could try searching the my writing, my art, Jessie Lynn McMains, or Rust Belt Jessie tags on this blog. I also have a side blog, where I tend to post more frequently than I do on this blog. If you ask nice, I'll probably give you the URL.

On that note, my DMs and asks are open, and, as of right now, anon is on.

I think that's it! As always, whether you can send any $$ my way (or to my fundraiser) currently or not, keeping this post circulating helps. Thanks much. 🖤

[reimenaashelyee]

Creator's Guide to Comics Devices: November 2023 Update

The first newsletter since launch came out a few days ago! It summarises all the updates I've made in November, which includes 2 (!) new devices, a sub-device, and other site changes.

Subscribe to the newsletter to get these updates direct to your email.

New Devices:

Aside

A short comment that sits outside of a balloon or character that is not perceived by anyone except the comment maker and the reader. An aside may come from the author, usually placed outside of the panel or near the edges. (Page with examples)

Topper

A secondary row of panels or single panel that goes 'on top' of the main comic. They are typically removable and non-essential, and usually contain the comic's title. (Page with examples)

Sub-device

Markers in Code Switch

Languages are assigned flags, pictographs or other iconographic symbols. (Page with examples)

News from the Curator and Site Changelog

I'm delighted over how well-received the library has been -- thank you to everyone who has shared, commented and provided feedback! I really appreciate the enthusiasm and generosity. <3 As a comics creator taking my first formal steps into the arena of comics studies, there is still a lot to do and to read for the library. Even with 63 devices catalogued, it's only still the beginning! 

From the Interwebs

‘The Creator’s Guide to Comics Devices’ Is the First of Its Kind, an Incredible Resource for Comics Creators & Readers Alike (The Mary Sue, Joan Zahra Dark) Lovely roundup from my fellow Cartoonist Cooperative co-founder Joan setting the historical context for Comics Devices and why an accessible resource is like this is due.  

Kibbles n Bits (Comics Beat, Heidi MacDonald) An enthusiastic feature of the library in Heidi's roundup.

Shout Outs

Thank you to Ritesh, Tan Juan Gee, Samantha Philipps, Blue Dellinquanti, Ted Anderson and Hannah Pallister for their contributions. (I really need to get that credits/curator's notes page set up. That's this month's to-do) Once again, thank you to the Sequential Artists Workshop Teaching Fellowship for supporting the development of the library this month.

Updates to the Site (Nov 2023)

Added the Store page and dedicated a subsection for it on the homepage, if only to direct people to the already-existing zine that’s currently distributed by Sequential Artists Workshop and myself. I might use that page to hold things like signing up for workshops and panels if they ever happen. Added the Newsletter page so it’s easier to link to across the site and elsewhere. Opened up the page that displays all the devices on one page. Added ‘Contribution’ ‘Newsletter’ ‘All Devices’ to the sidebar. Fixed the 404 page. It suggests the Site Map for advice. Finally opened the Links page! Check out all the resources in there! Thank you to folks who have submitted feedback/contribution! I have added new example pages for Harmonious Juxtaposition/Time & Space/Pictorial Lettering/Colour Coding and a longer definition for Map Panel. Added two new devices – Aside and Topper. Added ‘Markers’ and ‘Balloon Styles’ as a subdevice to Code Switch. Finally set up the Gallery page: this is where comics pages featuring the relevant device will be catalogued. Now for the slow work of filling up the galleries…..

New in Store: The Comics Devices Quick Reference Zine Before the website launched, I produced this zine as a promotional thing + quick reference. This is a 12-page zine showcasing the devices in this library as of 2023 (not including the Topper and Aside). Perfect for students, teachers and anyone who needs a quick, in-person reference if there's no wi-fi available. Sequential Artists Workshop is selling copies for North Americans in their online store. Folks in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia can directly contact me to get a copy. An ebook version is on the way. I will announce it via newsletter.

[kratioed]

𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐅𝐈 & 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐈 , 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐊𝐈

It’s clear that Hel will one day appear in future releases, as hinted in both GOW(2018) and GOWR, but anyone who is a myth enthusiast knows that Loki had other children besides his monstrous offspring in Norse Mythology because interestingly enough, GOW’s wiki community decided to include "Narfi & Váli" despite no evidence of their existence whatsoever throughout the Norse era.

Of course, it’s also a fandom site; while they can be a reliable source, said sources on their encyclopedia are sometimes inaccurate. Knowing the impossibility of their existence, I also thought about how they can coexist throughout GOW.

𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟐/𝟏/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Recently, the GOW's wiki community updated Atreus' "uncertain future" category and the links to Váli's & Narfi's wiki pages no longer existed. Doesn't mean it'll stop me from enjoying my fun. 😎🔥💯

𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟕/𝟐𝟐/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Nevermind, they're mentioned on Angrboða's wiki page for some reason…Váli & Narfi aren't the same as Fenrir & Jörmungandr ☝️🤓 but okay. ☠

And the more I thought about it, the more apparent it became that they’re essential for the franchise…but it’s more like my personal headcanon rather than my “crack” theory so might as well call this an AU for shits and giggles. I thought it would be fun to share my overly long detailed analysis with those who are fixated on Atreus’ other (im)possible children as much as I am because I need this to get it out of my system since they have been living rent-free in my head for almost a year just now. This blog is now officially a Narfi & Váli stan account and Kratos would have LOVED his grandsons if they ever appeared in GOW, but it's very unlikely that would happen. This analyis is going to be a long one so bear with me!

I think it would be poetic for GOW to end off including Narfi & Váli (alongside Atreus) for the final conclusion of the franchise; and yes, Hel would be an adult in this timeskip, contrary to popular belief that they were children in Norse Mythology. Despite their unfortunate demise, their backgrounds are nothing like their half-siblings’ in the Norse Mythos, making them the most ordinary of all Loki’s children. But you know what? The concept of Narfi & Váli being the epitome of normality of all Loki’s offspring gave me an a idea...I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but Narfi & Váli exhibit some similarities to Kratos & Deimos.

Before the Olympians (Athena & Ares) pursued one of the brothers due to a doomsday prophecy, Kratos & Deimos believed they were mere mortals during childhood as they still fit the epitome of normality as children, similarly to Narfi & Váli. They’re also gods at birth, but the only difference is that Narfi & Váli most likely knew about their divine nature, whereas Kratos (excluding Deimos) only discovered it later in adulthood (a silly parallel, but I still think it counts).

Another example would be in the parallel dynamics of Váli & Kratos, as they both had experiences where they succumbed to their primal instincts in different circumstances; Váli unwillingly turned into a wolf and killed his brother driven by primal instincts under the Æsir’s (or presumably Odin’s) influence, almost similar to how Kratos was deceived and unaware, killed his first wife and daughter fueled by his primal desire for blood under Ares’ influence. While Váli’s fate remains unknown after Loki's Punishment, we can infer that both Váli & Kratos are the only survivors other than their brother.

While the deaths of Narfi & Deimos are an obvious parallel, they're also linked to Bounds and Punishment in distinct ways; like Váli, Narfi was punished with his entrails used as bounds in retribution against his father, as well as due to his relation with Loki while Deimos, on the other hand, was bound and punished due to his existence as the "Marked Warrior" (same thing goes with Kratos since he too was also bound and punished at one point in Ascension).

On top of that, they were also subjected to violence as children inflicted by Gods. Consequently, it ultimately led the downfall of both Æsir & Olympians, as predicted by their prophecy. The prophecy of the "Marked Warrior" bringing destruction upon Olympus began the moment they abducted Deimos. The sufferings of Kratos' family (including Sparta and Pandora) at the hands of Gods contributes the downfall of Olympus. Their tragedies are the major cause of Kratos' justified vengeance to destroy the entire pantheon, ultimately leading the devastation of the Greek world.

In Norse Mythology (with my limited knowledge); the Æsir's (mostly Odin's) retaliation on Loki's monstrous children, particularly Fenrir, due to prophecies contributes their downfall in Ragnarök, especially with their involvement in Loki's Punishment. However, I believe that the suffering of Narfi & Váli at the hands of Æsir Gods is the primary cause for Loki's justified desire for vengeance. The Æsir's use of Narfi's entrails, his own son, as restraints adds insult to injury, intensifying Loki's anger. Obviously, Loki joined forces with those against Æsir Gods with his army of Hel's people while the events of Ragnarök lead the devastation throughout the lands.

But since this is GOW, I found this YouTube comment (which I've kept for quite some time) that perfectly said my thoughts out loud:

With the absence of Loki's Punishment; not only Kratos saved Narfi & Váli from Æsir's (particularly Odin's) wrath, he also prevented a similar tragedy that would inflict upon his grandsons the same way that Gods once inflicted upon him and Deimos as children, in which, fits the overall theme of subverting prophecies in GOWR.

𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Santa Monica could have easily had Atreus name his sons "Narfi & Váli" as everyone expected from Norse Mythology. But given Santa Monica's innovative approach to myth characters through creative liberties, using "Narfi & Váli" wouldn't work within the narrative structure of GOW's distinct retelling of Greek/Norse Mythology.

From what I've heard, there has been a debate about whether "Váli" is a son of Odin or Loki, or both Valis existed as sperate characters. Additionally, in GOWR, there's already a boss character named Vali (The Oath Guard), which I assumed (correct me if I'm wrong) it's a cultural practice for parents to name their child after a Norse figure in Scandinavian countries, but I find it unlikely for Atreus to name one of his children after an Æsir or any God in general. Similarly, Narfi shares a name with another Giant unrelated to Loki whatsoever...but given the wide variety of Gods and other myth characters we've seen from Greek Mythology depicted in GOW, it wouldn't be surprising if other Narfi, and particularly, Váli Odinson were to mentioned or featured in future releases.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍: If you're not aware or need a reminder, Atreus gets to learn about Deimos during "Animal Instincts" side quest. Whether you choose to bring Atreus or Freya doesn't matter, it doesn't change the fact that Santa Monica had intended for Atreus to know about his uncle, it's still canon either way.

Atreus' identity has roots that go beyond his Norse counterpart (both symbolically and narrative wise along with the origins of his Greek name) and very likely that Santa Monica would take a similar approach with "Hel" in future releases (I've seen people suggest her name could be Faye/Laufey or Calliope, or even Callisto or Angrboða's mother). It's only fair that "Narfi & Váli" should get the same treatment…so imagine how moving it would be if Atreus were to name his sons after Kratos & Deimos.

"Váli" 𝐊𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐒 𝐈𝐈, named after his grandfather, transformed from a monster into a benevolent God due to his ability to change and open his heart, representing the beacon of hope...

And "Narfi" 𝐃𝐄𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐒 𝐈𝐈, named after his great uncle, whom Atreus had known but never met (but wishes they had), honored his uncle by naming his youngest son after him.

𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟑/𝟕/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Just recently discovered in Greek Culture, it's common for children to be named after their grandparents, in which, aligns with my case for "Váli" to be named after his grandfather! While "Narfi" is named after his great-uncle, I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) the naming tradition also involves material/paternal relatives, which is fitting within the context of GOW. ^^

There are hearsay, or statements from Cory Barlog, that Kratos couldn't bring himself to name his son after his brother due to past memories…Atreus, on the other hand, seems open to the idea of naming one of his own children after his uncle he never met.

𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐅𝐈 & 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈/𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Besides Narfi Lokison and other Narfi, their accounts become somewhat unclear when Narfi's brother is addressed as "Nari." This time, it's Narfi who turns into a wolf and kills Nari. However, some sources later changed Narfi's name to Váli, both in historical texts and modern media...

𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟕/𝟐𝟏/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Initially, I thought this version was made based on the notion that Váli was Odin's son rather than Loki's. But after some further investigation, I'm inclined to believe that Váli is a singular character while Narfi & Nari are Loki's sons. It's also possible that "Narfi/Nari" is referred as the same character, as the belief that Váli is Loki's son is a common mistake in today's media. It would have been so easy to overlook the mistranslation and go along with the usual understanding of "Narfi & Váli"…but thinking about it now, this could actually work within the narrative structure as prophecies are ambiguously depicted in GOWR.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍: "Váli & Narfi" (or "Narfi & Nari") can shapeshift into wolves. Not only it emphasizes their connection with Atreus/Loki, but as a reflection of Kratos & Deimos through Speki & Svanna.

𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟕/𝟐𝟔/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: This might be a overreach...but if Kratos' presumption that Speki & Svanna were boys did reflect something, then it could be described as a projection of his experiences as a military general as well as an extension of subconscious affection. For Kratos' case, people form stronger bonds with animals than with human (and Gods) since often times they can be deceitful/malicious, conceited, narrow-minded, backstabbing, or calculatively manipulative through obligations/false promises while animals (wolves) would instead be much more pragmatic about survival and tender care.

Speki & Svanna (+Fenrir) have been usefully vigilant and reliable wolves that aid him and Atreus, and given the history of humans surviving in collaboration with animals, there is precedence for Kratos subconsciously associating the wolves with memories of Spartan warriors he had by his side almost as though they were his own family, where survival relied on the coordination of his armies and the care given to ensuring that his men were left standing after battle.

This can very easily be associated in the mind as symbolic of a dedicated and responsible soldier as a result from a pivotally formative part of his life revolved around the Sparta's military…and out of remorse (for the casualties of people under his care amidst the war he's wrought) and love (for those who've either perished or lived as well as the people who stood by him), it felt plausible that he could've associated this with Speki & Svanna (shout out to my irl friend for cooking this up!).

Regardless, I can also imagine this as a foreshadow of Kratos' doting relationship with his future grandsons (delulu)!

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 (𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟕/𝟐𝟏/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒): As much as I adore the relationship between Kratos and his grandsons, I personally think it would be better if they never met in person (rest assured, Hel is fortunate enough to know their grandfather as a child). As I mentioned before, Narfi & Váli should appear by the end of the franchise, and what better way to conclude Kratos' journey than being remembered as the benevolent God even after his death?

Kratos once quoted, "Death can have me, when it earns me" might foreshadow his potential death for the final installment. Given that Kratos had "died" in previous games and even evaded his predicted "death" in GOWR, I think it would be flitting to conclude his journey if the franchise comes to an end (in which, would have opted Atreus to name one of his sons after their grandfather). But it's just a personal theory of mine, so I digress.

Narfi & Váli serves as character foils for Kratos & Deimos, illustrating their childhood origins from Ghost of Sparta to the narrative's conclusion with Narfi & Váli emerging at the end. With wisdom gained from experiences and mistakes, Atreus, aged with greying hair, gazes at his sons and feels as if his father and uncle are reunited once again…relieving their childhood they never had as children.

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: If you made it this far, then congratulations! Here's a quick (and old) sketch of my variant of Váli would look like:

𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟕/𝟐𝟏/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Tried my best to replicate his facial structure. He's basically Kratos 2.0 with a decent childhood who smiles a lot more than his grandfather ever did in Sparta (he also has his grandfather's eyes and freckles from his father). Narfi, on the other hand, looks a lot more like his father with Deimos' iconic birthmark. They're basically Wolf Children and Brother Bear combined (I never watch either of those movies, but it's the vibes I'm get from them)! ^^

[pillowfort-social]

Site Update - 11/27/2023

Hi Pillowfolks, 

We hope you are safe and healthy.  Our Developers released a small site update today which addresses recent bugs that appeared after our Drafts update. Thank you for your patience while our team patched these bugs. Please let us know if you are still experiencing issues. 

Also, we wanted to take another moment to thank our community for your support during our End of Year Fundraiser. Can you believe we’re at 67% of our goal with over a month remaining? You have made it very clear you believe our Platform deserves to exist and we will continue to work hard to keep our platform online. 

We will be revealing fundraiser rewards very soon! 

New Features / Improvements

Premium Frames Update - Add a little color to your avatar with three new premium frames inspired by synthwave, vaporwave, and citypop. These frames were designed by our Customer Service Manager, Midnight!

Fundraiser Pop Up - We’ve added a notification banner for our End of Year Fundraiser. (Psst: There is still time left to help us meet our goal!) 

Bug Fixes

Infinite Posts in Communities -  Fixed a bug where the last post in a Community repeated infinitely. 

Drafts Tagging - Fixed a bug where posts that were published from Drafts wouldn’t show up in the tag search results despite being tagged. This change will also retroactively fix posts that were affected by this bug since the release of the Drafts feature, though it may take some time for these changes to populate. Please wait a few hours before checking if your published posts that were not previously showing up in tags have been fixed.

Gaps in Home Feed - Fixed a bug causing temporal gaps in the home feed when loading more posts. This also fixes an issue where some posts would display twice in the home feed.

Dark Mode Drafts Improvements - Fixed a bug that caused the site’s dark theme to fail to display properly when viewing the Drafts index page.

Community Index Fixes - We improved the efficiency of Community browsing, so searching for communities via the Community index should now be faster. We also altered the search so that it no longer sends a data request if no search term has been entered and the search sorting method is set to “Relevance”.

[strawberryxfieldz]

hi hi! I have combed through the Website (and what a webbed site it is!!! absolutely delightful!) so here’s some thoughts about some of the stuff we got:

(WARNING: MAJOR WH SPOILERS AHEAD)

Barnaby’s stamp on the Stickers page (formerly: Links) is no longer clickable! He was the only one you could click on before the update but now no one’s is.

Julie can actually talk to flowers! I’ve seen this theory/headcanon before so it’s nice to have confirmation

THE PURPLE THEORY!!!! In the “Just So” audio, Wally’s voice is distorted when he says purple, lending substance to the theory something is wrong with the color purple—Eddie’s favorite color.

Wally says something like “You’re so still. What are you doing?” and like??? did he kill someone or something and not realize it??? so many questions… (Edit: After listening to all the audios, I don’t think this is the case anymore but it’s still an interesting thing for him to say.)

Eddie mentions cows twice I believe in the audios… makes me think he comes from somewhere with cows given his accent. Perhaps that means cows exist somewhere outside of Home?

There’s an interview with Wally and Barnaby which means there’s evidence they have interacted with humans outside the show. Are all the puppets sentient then???

Frank is the Prince and Julie is Cinderella in the retelling, giving some evidence to the theory they were meant to be a couple but decided to stay best friends.

Whoever the poor guy is dealing with the “nightmares”/phone ringing/thinking it’s a prank on him IS GOING THROUGH IT! I wonder who it is…

ALSO WTF HAPPENED AT THE EXHIBITION??? THE MESSED UP GLOVE??? HELLO???

Edited for more info (7/24/23):

I’m beginning to suspect hearts are a central theme here. There’s a lot of heart drawings (even though Wally can’t draw hearts), there’s heart beating sounds in the audios, etc. There’s also not a heart separating Wally and Home like there is for everyone else on that one art border.

There’s a difference in the “Just So” audio and transcript. In the audio, Wally says, “I don’t mind that you reorder my crayons” but in the transcript he says, “I don’t mind that you steal my crayons.”

Small note but I love that the hidden recordings can be found through bugs, which are both insects and bugs, like glitches!

Also, the 14-14-bh audio is the last audio that ends with Wally being entirely uncommunicative and unmoving, and the bug that leads to it is the only realistic bug.

I’m so glad we got the Wally audio redone (the one from the It’s For You Phone button) because there’s some differences from Clown’s original one. Most importantly, at the end, Wally says, “You have work to do.” It makes me wonder if he’s talking to You OR the person the Restoration Team that’s going crazy and hearing the phone calls and stuff… (or possibly both??? what if this person was You the whole time???)

Another line of Wally dialogue I love is, “I have more eyes than I did before.” Maybe it all the attention that gives Wally “more eyes” but he still “can’t see,” whatever that means. It seems his popularity isn’t helping his power of influence on reality, perhaps specifically over the one person on the Restoration Team.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

So... Where You Going?

For those not in the know, tumblr's doing its swan song and is going down to a skeleton crew for running the site. The site won't be gone immediately, but given how things run on tumblr now (will sometimes be totally unusable, I've had my blog automatically killed for nonsense reasons, held together with duct tape and glue) I'm going to treat this as if it could go down tomorrow or else that it will probably collapse by Christmas.

I'll probably be here until it's no longer usable but I'm not going to hold my breath that that's going to be any significant amount of time.

So, there comes the question of where I am going to go.

@therealvinelle and I have been discussing that and what we're likely to do is pivot what would be text meta into @rankheresy content. Things that would have been long text answers to questions will become episodes (note this is what the episodes essentially are already). We're also looking into doing Q&A style streams/videos where we'd answer questions from the audience to get to what would have been the short/more ridiculous 'what if' kind of things we usually do.

Of course, if people want us to run certain episodes/do certain content, we're open to suggestions and feedback.

As for Ao3, I'm not going anywhere on there, because if I could have shaken the fanfiction habit, I would have years ago. I'm in this for life, baby.

Neither of us have any plans to move all the blog content somewhere else in part because a) nobody seems to know where they want to land yet b) all the existing options are collapsing or else are terrible and I hate them. As much as this place is a hellsite, there's nothing quite like it. This could change but, for now, them's the breaks.

Also, since I've now published things, I can't disappear from online entirely.

So, here's the places you can find me.

Me, Myself, and I

The_Carnivorous_Muffin on Ao3

Amazon Author Page

If you're interested at all in my venturing into original things/what's been going in there, follow the Amazon author page as that will for sure alert you when new things come out, I'll make announcements other places (e.g. discord) but of course that depends on other places existing which who even knows at this point.

Rank Heresy (@rankheresy i.e. me and @therealvinelle meta stuff)

Rank Heresy Spotify

Rank Heresy Podcastaddict

Rank Heresy Apple Podcasts

Rank Heresy Amazon Music

Rank Heresy Player FM

Rank Heresy Google Podcasts

Rank Heresy Patreon

Rank Heresy Kofi

Rank Heresy Discord

Rank Heresy discord will probably become the best place to catch me or @therealvinelle as well as catch any announcements we make. In #announcements we drop anything we update (either the podcast or fics) and #notice-me-senpai channel can be used when you really want to get our attention/have us answer a question (we do lurk there but as of right now it's not a super active server).

Podfic (me and @therealvinelle podfic stuff)

Podfics on Spotify

Podfics on Amazon Music

Podfics on Podcastaddict

Podfics on PlayerFM

Podfics are what it says on the tin, it's me and @therealvinelle podficcing only our own material (which so far is just partway through For The Love of a Woman)

It's been a wild time, friends, hope to see you all in the future.

[stormy-caffeine]

Genderseraphitch

Genderseraphitch is a subset of genderseraph, a xenogender that feels like how an otherworldly being would experience gender. It is both androgynous and genderless in nature, though the connection to both masculinity and femininity is completely different than how humans experience these concepts.

The androgynous and genderless aspects are influenced by a connection to the deepest parts of the earth, natural forces, instinctual knowledge and life cycles. An interpretation of this would be experiencing gender as it would be felt by an otherworldly being which has been housed in our natural plane for longer than mortal consciousness has existed, making the being intrinsically linked with our natural cycles and spirits while still existing outside of them or our understanding of them.

Like genderseraph, those with this gender can best describe it as ethereal, vast, and divine, however these elements are also accompanied with an innate apprehension. It could be described as the intrinsic knowledge one is born with on what is natural vs unnatural, human vs inhuman, living vs inanimate, etc. It could also refer to the distinct feeling one gets when there is something present in the same space as them, without being able to physically see it and prove it's existence.

This could also apply to kingender individuals whose kintype is associated with being incomprehensible, immortal, angelic and/or eldritch in nature.

The green and beige stripes represent the connection to the Earth and its cycles, the white stripe represents the otherworldly and unknowable nature of both the gender and individual, the pale blue represents the water cycle upon the Earth, and the de-saturated purple stripes represent the connection to being both genderless and androgynous, to varying degrees.

Creator's Note

This term was one that I actually made back in 2021 on the original LGBTA wiki before some terms were purged and management changed hands multiple times. Since the original coining, Genderseraph has been wiped from the wiki and, to my memory and current knowledge, had never been recorded anywhere outside LGBTA. Due to this, I have altered zero wording from my original post in order to preserve my intentions at the time, as I do recall it was to add in my personal kintype associations on top of the original term. Additionally, the flag above is a new, updated version created today with intentional flag coloring. The original flag I submitted for the term, featured on LGBTA here, was a color adjusted flag from the original Genderseraph page. Since it's been so long I do not have the flag that I took from or have any information about the original creator, so deepest apologies. If I'd known the site would nuke the original term, I would have looked into archiving it back when I was coining.

[swfandomevents]

Call for Collaborators

It's been more than 2 years since this blog started, and it's been great to see everyone reblogging events and enjoying being in the SW Fandom!

That being said, I've been running this blog on my own, and while I've been generally able to keep on top of the "upcoming events" page, the "complete events list" page hasn't really been updated since I initially made it more than 2 years ago.

I would really like to solicit help from anyone who would like to work together to go through and overhaul the page and turn it into a more current, useful resource for both participants and event mods.

Tasks:

Go through the list of events to find ones that no longer exist or have a post explicitly saying the event will not be running again

For events that haven't been deleted and haven't said they won't run again, make a note of when the event was last held (including in 2023)

Reorganize the list to divide it into types of events similar to the Upcoming events list (fandom weeks, big bangs, fests, etc)

For fests, exchanges, and big bangs, list when the sign-ups are generally posted in addition to when works are generally posted.

Reorganize the list based on when the events were held in their most recent year (some events may have been held in February 2 years ago, but July this year, so they have to be moved)

Add any newer events by going through the swfandomevents blog looking for events that aren't in the complete events list

Look around for events especially on other sites (dreamwidth, twitter/X, etc) to add to the list

Most of this will probably be done together in a google doc, with communication on tumblr or on discord according to everyone's preferences.

While it may seem like a lot, my hope is this will be achievable for a small group of 2-3 people (including me) within a few hours of work if we divide tasks well. Following that, if the same people are available we may be able to go through a couple times a year to do updates, but committing to help this time is not necessarily committing to help in the future, so no pressure :).

If you like organizing or making lists, scrolling through blogs looking for info, or have a presence on other sites like Twitter/X, and would be interested in helping out, feel free to drop this blog a message or ask. I'm hoping to do this within the next couple of weeks at the latest, so please make sure you have some available time on some days or weekends in the near future.

Thank you!

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

the pale, formless web

There is nothing good about the internet anymore. Only a few years ago, the internet was a realm of golden threads, where most of the important content was hosted on beautifully-designed personal webpages (by someone with an actual web design skill, not by someone who was just "web-savvy," and/or thought that the customizing options provided by WordPress are an adequate substitute for anything like true design skills). The text was often formatted in interesting ways, or completely unusable in ways that provided their own kind of magic (in the olden days before IE6, the "page loads but none of the text is actually visible" was called a "heroic failure"). The news was found in specialized portals, scrapbooks, and in-depth breakdowns that were at least as entertaining as the news itself, and the form of the text was tailored to what it was about. Conversations existed on Livejournal, where the visual layout of the post encouraged your eyes to linger on one part of the page after another and move around in a particular rhythm. And there were communities of people who built some really weird stuff together. I used to browse Area51 or Argumate's room in Everything2 for hours.

Something happened. We aren't quite sure what yet, although some of us can tell the story backward, from what we see now to what we recall was once there. The stages are recognizable. First, the inability to control the content you see -- which could be fought back against to some degree in the "golden threads" by using the browser's little-known "block this site" function -- grew to the point where the only way to make the internet work was to abandon actual web pages in favor of an endless, pale, formless web. The text has all become either evenly-spaced clumps of letters or oddly-spaced blocks of non-interlinkable letters. It is no longer formatted for what it is about; in fact, since webpages ceased to exist, there's no one thing it is "about." Instead it's a pile of unrelated comments that update whenever the article updates. All the interesting portals and websites have been transformed into cake-cutting sites, where the "headlines" are algorithmically designed to maximize your "engagement" with the headline's "sphere of influence," and the little clumps of text in the "comments" sections can be at least crudely navigated like the strange corridors of a genre-defying cyberpunk text game, but they don't, actually, lead anywhere real. You can't click on that one link that has something you'd really like to see, since no one has written about it, and the site has no tags. So you don't look.

You can leave. There are plenty of other "alternative" pages out there, as there always have been. But you have to leave the world that you are trying to use the internet for, and enter a "better" world that, though it may have better content, is all the more boring for its artificiality.

[idiosys1]

10 SEO Tips For Classified Websites

If you’re owning or are about to build a classified website, you need to prioritize SEO. Irrespective of the size and strength of your company, SEO is a must to get a sufficient number of leads to your website. With the help of the best SEO strategies, your page is going to be indexed in the right way. This is the reason why many classified website companies hire SEO expert to make their sites highly scalable. Here, we are going to share our insights on the role of SEO to improve the scalability of classified websites. So, scroll down to know all about SEO and classified sites in detail.

1. Use Creative Content: Every company has its specific missions, visions and goals. And so, these things need to be highlighted with quality content. But, content is not only important for your business promotion but also for SEO. To apply the best SEO strategies, you need to use creative content that tells your audience precisely who you are, what you do and how you do it. It will create a bigger impact on your potential customers and keep them on your site for longer. Also, you need to use relevant keywords to optimize the content for search engine result pages.

2. Make Images Optimized: Studies show how images can create a positive impact on website visitors and attract a huge number of them. But, did you know that you can also use your images to generate new leads to your website way before they know you exist? Well, you can do the same by optimizing your website images in various ways. You need to compress the images first to reduce loading time and then upload them with relevant names. ALT tags are also important for image optimization, which you need to ensure. Mobile responsive images are a must.

3. Create Header Tags: Your classified website needs to have header tags to become SEO-friendly. Header tags or HTML tags play crucial roles in making your website look organized and meaningful. And so, you need to ensure these tags in the best possible way. Generally, you’ll find 5–6 header tags such as H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, and H6. H1, the headline or title tag, is the most essential one of all. Most website articles or blogs have H1-H4 tags and if needed H5 and H6 are also included. You can also incorporate keywords with these tags to get the best results.

4. Meta Descriptions and Titles: Next, you need to include meta descriptions and titles while developing your website. Meta Descriptions are descriptive one or two-liners about your website pages that the readers will be able to see as your webpage link appears in the search engine pages. Titles are the main headings of web pages, which needs to be attractive and simple. Content and keyword play really significant roles when it comes to optimizing these meta descriptions and titles of the web pages. These are the things that you can’t miss.

5. Ensure URL Keywords: If you’re looking for an SEO expert in Kolkata, you can ask the expert about the role of URL keywords. In SEO, URL keywords play the most vital role in optimizing websites in SERPs (search engine result pages). For example, if you have an e-commerce apparel website and someone searches Google for “women’s salwar kameez”, your website will be shown by Google at the top. But, to achieve this position, you need to include the keyword ‘women’s salwar kameez’ in your website URL and apply other SEO strategies correctly.

6. Build Sitemaps: To make any website SEO-friendly, sitemaps are essential. Your classified website also needs to include the same. Sitemap refers to a file that has all your web pages listed down. You also need to add information about the last update made and how frequently you would be changing your page info. Then, search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and others will use your sitemap to know about your website and its services. While creating your sitemaps, you need to ensure that you give accurate information about all your website pages.

7. Create Backlinks: If you’re wondering what backlinks are all about, let us explain. These are the links that lead to your website from other websites. To create backlinks, you need to work on your website content really well. Then only, other sites will find your content useful and would want to use your website’s link on their pages. If you’re planning to hire any SEO company in Kolkata, the SEO experts will be able to explain to you the role of backlinks in more detail.

8. Create Search-Engine URLs: Search engines need to index and understand your company URL easily. And so, search-engine URL is something you need to focus on. The key to creating a superior-quality URL is to keep it descriptive and yet short. If you are able to do it, search engines will be able to understand your web content better and thereby, enhance the visibility of your website in the result pages. You can discuss with your SEO expert how to create search-engine URLs.

9. Organize Your Website Data: If you want your classified website to be SEO-friendly, you need to organize your site data first. Microdata, schema.org and other structured data are available that you can use for this purpose. The main role of structured data is to make it easier for search engines to understand your company profile through the content. But, while using structured data, it’s essential to find one that aligns with your business niche.

10. Ensure Google Analytics: To get huge website traffic, Google Analytics can help you a lot. It’s a free tool that lets you see the number of visitors on your website and the way they are finding your site interesting. You can track the performance of your classified site through this analysis and improve it further. This performance tracking service has helped a huge number of websites to find their potential customers and keep them engaged in the right way.

The above 10 tips to improve the SEO-friendliness of your classified website are quite helpful. If you want to try them in the correct way, you need to hire SEO expert. These strategies are ever evolving and only an expert can help you make the most of them. If you’re already on the lookout for top SEO company in Kolkata that provides exceptional services for classified websites at an affordable cost, you can feel free to reach us at Idiosys Technologies. To know more about our services and packages, contact us right away!

Check out the blog post: https://shorturl.at/aAD35

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Paramore Wipe Social Media Accounts Clean + Delete Website + Fans Have No Idea What’s Going On

Paramore have wiped their Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts clean, updated with a blank profile picture. The band's website no longer exists either and fans are confused.

The timing of this latest scrubbing, however, is especially curious as Paramore recently expressed that they're not sure what the future holds for the band or if there even is one.

The Changes to Paramore's Social Media Accounts + Website

Every single post on Paramore's Instagram and X accounts have been deleted and the profile pictures have been changed, showing a stick figure head and torso against a grey background.

Paramore's profile picture on Facebook has been changed to the same image, however their pre-existing posts are all still there, the latest coming on Dec. 17, wishing guitarist Taylor York a happy birthday.

Regarding Paramore's website — paramore.net — that landing page now reads "404 Not Found. The requested URL was not found on this server."

Fans Have No Idea What's Going On

Fans have flocked to the r/Paramore Reddit thread to discuss these latest activities, pondering the significance of these moves in relation to those recent comments about a murky future.

Some claim (as of four hours prior to this post being published) that they were still able to access the website, while others were greeted with a message that read, "Future home of something quite cool."

One fan posits, "I think they're making big 'left the label' moves," while another wondered if Paramore's previous label — Atlantic Records — had managed the social media and webpages and that this is a transitional period for the accounts and site.

Elsewhere, fans urge everyone to remain calm and don't panic, opting to wait this out to see a new announcement will be coming soon.

The new profile picture on Facebook has generated over 11,000 comments with a mixed bag of reactions. There's comments using Paramore lyrics in an ultra dramatic fashion, ones with optimistic outlooks and some that are all doom and gloom.

The Recent Uncertainty of Paramore's Future

On Dec. 14, Paramore posted a quote from their interview with UPROXX in a candid assessment about what's next for the veteran group.

Paramore's Instagram story contained the following note, which is an excerpt from the feature (not a direct quote from the band):

Now that Paramore has spent the year touring behind This Is Why (and making sure to take better care of themselves while they’re at it), a chapter of the band’s career has come to a close. They’ve now fulfilled all label obligations and are effectively free agents. As for the future of Paramore, all three members agreed that there’s a level of uncertainty.

"The only thing that matters is we will still get to be each other's community,'" says Williams, while drummer Zac Farro adds, "I just hope we can keep building the Paramore empire and then rule the world."

Elsewhere in the interview, Williams laments the state of social media and how difficult it is to casually joke around and engage with fans without some small anecdote being blown up into something much larger and/or deceitful. Ensuring private and professional barriers are kept intact is often challenging.

The singer does, however, see how beneficial TikTok can be, especially as a tool for self-promotion for artists.

Paramore in 2024

Despite all the chatter about an uncertain future, Paramore have a slew of tour dates on the books, opening for Taylor Swift on a European and U.K. leg of her ongoing The Eras tour.

[seanastinhopeunquenchable]

Today would have been the 12th anniversary of my Sean Astin: Hope Unquenchable Facebook page. I say “would have” because about 3 weeks ago Facebook unpublished the page because of supposed violations of community guidelines. Apparently someone claimed I was trying to impersonate Sean Astin. This, despite the “About” clearly stating that it is a fan run page and including a link to Sean‘s official page.

I have appealed the decision, but is unclear what the appeal process is or how long it takes. I found a couple email addresses (appeals@fb.com and support@fb.com) that I sent explanations to. Sean has also written to them on my behalf.

I’m certain if an actual human rather than an automated process were to look at my page, it would be clear I am not trying to impersonate Sean. I always refer to him in the third person, and tag his official page. I periodically do posts reminding people that it is a fan page. I have no way of knowing how to get a real person at Facebook to look at it.

At the moment, the page and all the posts still exist, but I’m the only one who can see them. I suspect it may all disappear 30 days after the initial takedown. This makes me sad, especially as I was getting very close to 100,000 followers. Some of my posts were viewed by millions of people! I wish I had some way to reach my followers, especially the ones who faithfully reacted to and commented on the posts to let them know what happened, and why I will no longer be able to update them on Sean‘s doings.

At this time, I do not plan to create a new page. I have personal accounts on Instagram, X and Threads, and a fan page on Tumblr. I will continue to post occasional updates on those sites even though I have far smaller audiences there.