#if you want to see my translations check my tumblr profile page!
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#dungeon meshi#delicious in dungeon#dm#marcille#laios#chilchuck#namari#falin#finally getting onto the last few extras of the AB#if you want to see my translations check my tumblr profile page!
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man... I'm seeing the recency bias in fanfic firsthand this weekend and I'm having mixed feelings about it. putting it under a cut because it's rambly and long.
I don't track my kudos as closely as some folks do, but I've noticed that the AO3 emails have been slowing down lately. which makes sense, as the last time I posted there was in October and I haven't been super active on tumblr lately either.
but I posed a fic yesterday and almost immediately started getting kudos on other works of mine as well – and it's super obvious why, of course: people who enjoyed the fic I'd just posted clicked on my profile to see what else I've written, and checked out my other, older fics. same thing actually happened to a lesser extent here on tumblr, with likes popping up on older posts, presumably because people found my fic masterlist via my pinned post (which includes things like ficlets that aren't on AO3, AU ideas, etc.)
on the one hand, this is awesome! this is exactly how an archive is supposed to function, after all, just like how you go to the C shelf at the library to find more books by Agatha Christie.
on the other, it's hard not to take that info and translate it into "I must continue to produce work so that my older work will get noticed, too." I must keep my name up there among the most recent posts, I must stay visible. or maybe I'm not doing a good job of self promotion; maybe I should try to circulate my own older fics more, maybe I should tag my stuff better, etc. etc.
of course this is only anxious internal pressure, and it's fairly easy to ignore. I'm not in fandom for clout or "engagement," I'm in it for fun. and that kind of thinking is the opposite of fun, so I try not to give in to it. but it's hard sometimes. I mean, I want people to read what I write, and enjoy it, and react to it. I get a lot of satisfaction and validation from others' reactions to my writing, and I'm not going to pretend that that isn't part of the reason why I post my fic!
but I'm also a slow writer, and not very prolific when it comes down to it (for a lot of reasons, ranging from ADHD to a busy real life to my mental health). and it does bum me out a little when there's such a clear difference between the number of reactions I get to my work when I've posted something recently vs when it's been a couple of months since I shared something new. the joy of getting that attention is tempered by this bittersweet, "wow... I could get that feeling even more often if I was just... better." if I wrote faster. if I posted more.
but it also drives home how important it is to circulate posts and older fics! to go past that first page on AO3, to really dive into the tags for fandoms or pairings you love and seek out some older stuff. it drives home the importance of things like rec lists and masterlists, which enable us to collect and share works that may have fallen out of view.
(and yes, it drives home for me personally that I can always be doing more to lift up my fellow writers, to reblog and comment on things I like, so everyone can get that good feeling of knowing someone enjoyed something they wrote.)
anyway. lots of thoughts and feelings over here. and I want to be clear that this is all my own personal stuff – please don't take any of this as judgement or criticism of how anyone else engages in fandom. just barfing my thoughts into the void.
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I very curious about Mary of Denmark’s wedding dress designer. I saw in your post that it was designed by Uffe Frank. Because I did love the dress, I went ahead checked his website, social pages etc… And man has even less followers my grandma, almost no online presence. It just seemed odd. This guy designed the crown princess’ then poof he is gone
It's an interesting conversation (that's code for: I'm about to ramble!). I honestly don't know anything about Uffe's career. I think there's two possibilities and I'll discuss them both.
Firstly, it's possible that his career is absolutely fine and he just doesn't prioritise an online presence. There's this unusual group of designers who pretty much exclusively create bespoke pieces for a limited clientele and have very little to no presence online because they don't have to. If everything you make is bespoke and all your clients are drawn from a small pool of aristocrats and public figures then most people in your target market will hear about you through word of mouth, not Instagram. It actually benefits them to remain exclusive and mysterious. There are other examples in this category like Pär Engsheden. He made Victoria's wedding dress, he's an incredibly respected designer. But he has no website and no social media that I know of at all. Or Bruce Oldfield. He has a basic website and less than 9k followers on Instagram. Yet he was one of Diana's favourites for years, he dresses Camilla now. Related to this I think sometimes profiles can grow organically but neither Bruce nor Uffe are verified. There are a few accounts on Instagram with Uffe's name so if he isn't actively building his account, people may not follow because they don't trust it's a real account.
The other alternative is that his brand is not doing so well or perhaps didn't grow. And I think this is interesting because we hear about the "Kate Effect" - you can insert any royal woman's name in there - where a royal wearing a piece instantly leads to it selling out. And there is some truth to it but I think the picture is more complex. For a start, brands almost never reveal the actual increase in sales that could be attributed to the royal. Maybe something sold out because it was already selling well and would have without the royal. And I also think that people wanting to buy a garment worn by a royal doesn't necessarily translate into being long term customers. If we look at some of the brands Kate wore a lot in 2011-2016, so many of them have folded or gone into administration. And I'm not for a second saying it's her fault - it's because the market now prefers cheap fast fashion or big designer brands so there's no foothold for the mid level brands - but it shows that a royal generating a lot of sales for one item doesn't necessarily give a brand long term financial health. Uffe is already on the back foot because he dressed a Danish royal almost 20 years ago rather than a British royal 10 years ago - the exposure he received will have been less, the time gap will mean more people have forgotten - but I think ultimately it's kind of like general internet culture. I've had posts go viral on Tumblr but it leads to absolutely no discernible increase in followers who stick around. You have to keep feeding the machine. It would be more surprising to me if Mary wore Uffe's stuff every week and he wasn't a big name, but honestly it doesn't surprise me to see him have a low profile despite making her wedding dress.
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Hey homie is love ur writing but I don’t want to accidentally request some thing not allowed so do you have any rules?? 🫶🏼 
hey! oops i totally forgot to write a rules list thing so here it is, i’ll have it linked on my pinned too so it’s easily accessible from now on. i may add to it over time 💕
kitties rules 🎀
general rules
no hate, bigotry, or bashing what / how i write. this should go without saying.
do not spam my ask box if i haven’t answered your request. i’m either getting round to it, i don’t have inspiration for it, or i don’t like it. additionally, if i do not like your request i will just delete it. nothing against you, but i do not have to feel pressured on my own blog.
eating disorder accounts DO NOT INTERACT WITH ME. i have to click most profiles to check if there’s an age or some kind of idea of age on your page and i find that content triggering and shouldn’t have to see it. do not follow, do not like, do not reblog.
i am happy to talk to anyone and give out advice, however please do not bring me any super heavy / trauma related rants. tumblr writers are not therapists. i sympathise with you but i must set a boundary and i cannot help you.
only claim an emoji anon if you’re actually going to send me asks! the amount of times someone asks to claim an emoji for their anons but then never message me again has just gotten too much sadly. additionally, please don’t just send ‘can i claim *insert emoji* anon?’ you can claim it if you say something else or converse with me in the ask for the reasons above !!
do not slander pillow princesses / stone tops.
no abby bashing on my page. block my abby tag, or leave. i really don’t care! just don’t bring it here.
no drama, gossiping about other blogs, or comparing my writing to another writers. i’m not that kinda blog and i’m not entertaining rudeness. unless of course, you are making me aware of another writer stealing / being overtly problematic so that i can quietly unfollow etc.
do not bash my interpretations of the characters i write for. whilst you might not agree, as i could make tweaks to what is canonically true about them (e.g: the version of ellie i write for is 5’7) these are my personal interpretations and headcanons which are not up for argument.
do not repost my work, do not translate my work, and please do not copy my writing and just tweak it so it’s for another character. especially if it’s just another tlou character because more times than not i will see it and i find it kind of disrespectful.
if you don’t have your age in your bio, i’m not writing your request or even replying to you. simple as that, i’ve asked you to respect my rules so if you don’t i’m not writing for you!
please be kind to me! i love how enthusiastic you all are but please remember to be polite as i am a person and not a writing machine. if you’d like to request something in my ask box, please do not say something like “i need more ____ now!!” as i will probably just delete it unfortunately!
additionally to this, if i say i’m not writing a part 2 to a fic, most of the time i’m going to stick by that. i appreciate you enjoyed the first one a lot, and i don’t wanna sound mean — but begging me to write a part 2 when i already said no is just gonna irritate me. sorry!
writing rules (tw)
i will not write about:
men, this is a safe space for wlw / nblw
sexual assault / r*pe. again, this is a safe space.
additional to this i will not write cnc. not bashing anyone who’s into it, but i am uncomfortable with it.
self harm / suicide
i will not write for reader with a mental illness / disability that i do not have. i have adhd, so i am happy to write for adhd reader but that is all. i want everyone to feel included and validated of course but i am scared of including stereotypes / misinformation and doing more harm than good! also i just don’t know how to write it lol! i don’t really want to write for body issues / insecurities for the most part either.
ddlg / age play. i am comfortable to write daddy/mommy but not as an entire lifestyle.
i don’t write a whole lot of angst with no resolution / happy ending. absolutely no hate to people who write that, i just get sad easily and don’t want to put myself through that lol!
i don’t write dom!reader im sorry! there are lots of fantastic, talented blogs out there that do but as i am a submissive pillow princess i wouldn’t even know where to begin and writing it just wouldn’t be pleasurable for me!
i will add to this list, but basically if i am not comfortable writing something i just will not!
let’s all just have safe respectful fun ! 💕
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Quodo recs for the last ~8 months
I got really behind on Quodo works for the last eight months or so. But now that I'm finally caught up, I thought I would post a rec list featuring my favorite fanworks that have been posted since around December 2022 or so. These are just my personal favorites -- feel free to add more.
Fic
see you later (740 words) by kirajockstrap: An episode-centric ficlet about Odo's thoughts when confronted with the fact that Quark might actually die in the Terok Nor flashback episode, 2x08 "Necessary Evil."
Doctor's Orders (1,904 words) by WeaverofWords: After a routine appointment with Quark, Bashir ends up diagnosing a very clueless Odo with an obsession with Quark that he might want to act on. A funny fic I like because of how clueless Odo is. Poor Dr. Bashir!
Gotta Look Good (5,191 words - Mature) by WeaverofWords. Quark ropes Odo into helping him take a good profile pic for a dating website. Odo checks out Quark's profile page and is a bit horrified by Quark's dating strategy and decides something needs to be done about it. Again, another fic I love because of how clueless Odo is (but he still cares about Quark a lot).
Holosuite Malfunction (9,537 words) by cool_ha_ha. There's a holosuite malfunction and Odo and Quark are trapped in a program (you know how it goes). I enjoyed this one because of the cheesy bodice-ripper vibes of the program Odo and Quark get stuck in, the sexual tension between Quark and Odo and a hologram version of Odo, and Quark and Odo struggling to articulate their feelings for each other.
A Mile in Another Man's Bucket (48,810 words) by Superfloxes: Roleswap AU. A bit of a double roleswap going on here: Quark and Odo end up in a universe where Quark is the DS9 security chief and Odo is a no-good bartender/petty criminal. The result is that they end up having to do the other person's job for a few days. Simple right? Well, maybe they'll end up understanding each other a bit better after they do that. Along the way, you also get a few glimpses of what the show might have been like if Odo and Quark were swapped.
what's the problem? I don't know (well, maybe I'm in love) (WIP - 2,797 words - Mature) by Khoshekh42. This one's a WIP but I'm enjoying it a lot so far. Quark and solid!Odo end up having a drunk one-night stand and then end up kind of avoiding each other because they're not sure how to deal with that kind of situation. Gotta love the pining!
Not quite Quodo but I enjoyed them so I'll rec them anyway:
Lost in Translation (Patching the UT) (18,939 words) by sayler_antimony. This is mostly gen worldbuilding about quirks of the languages of various Star Trek races, but there's a bit of an outsider POV look at various pairings, including Odo/Quark (in chapters 3, 5, and 12). But the whole thing is very worth reading for a DS9 fan!
Benefits of Acquaintance (3,481 words - Explicit) by synthehol_king. This is a Garak/Quark PWP, but there are undertones of Garak->Bashir and Quark->Odo pining to it. Fun characterization of Garak and Quark and how they might interact during sex.
Peace Negotiations (10,505 words - Explicit) by StopTalkingAtMe. This is a Quark/Brunt fic but there is just a hint of Quark's attraction to Odo. Basically, Quark and Brunt are holed up in a Risa vacation home after an auction of rare artifacts goes south. They end up playing out some of the other's sexual fantasies. Plotty and fun!
Art
There's been so much awesome Quodo art posted in the last ~8 months or so. Rather than listing all of them, it might just be easier to check the last 5 pages of my quodo art tag over on my Tumblr, as I tried to round up a lot there.
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☆ Flow- My webcomic ☆
Summary
Pompom, a bunny from another dimension, finds a job at "Flow industries", a place where all minds go when lost in thought. However, an unexpected case on his first day of work might change his plans for this simple nine to five job.
Flow is a passion project I have been idealizing for a long time, with a mix of science fiction and fantasy elements.
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(Please, if possible, go trough this whole post before reading. Thank you!)
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Links
Below, you will find links to all of the pages to read right here on Tumblr, but if you want, you can also read it on tapas and webtoon:
-> Tapas: https://tapas.io/series/Flow_oneflyingsquid/info
-> Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/flow/list?title_no=911173
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Tumblr links
Chapter 1: (Finished)
-Cover -Page 1 -Page 2 -Page 3 -Page 4 -Page 5
-Page 6 -page 7 -page 8 -Page 9 -Page 10 -Page 11
Chapter 2: ( Working on it o(￣▽￣)ｄ )
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Credits
This section can and will change if something I use on later pages was not created by me. If you see anything in this section that I should not be using due to copyright or if you are the creator and do not agree on the use of your resources on the comic, please, let me know as soon as possible trough the "questions and suggestions" icon on my profile.
Also, please check and support the work of these creators, fonts are not easy to create and neither are brush sets:
->Art and story were created by- One flying squid (me)
-> Explizit (dialog font) was created by- Linafis Studio
->Glitch Goblin (Cover font, also used in screens) was created by- GGBotNet
->Help me (Scratchy font that made its first appearance on page 5) was created by- GGBotNet
-> Krita Brushkit v8.2 (brush presets I use in Krita, my drawing program) was created by David Revoy (deevad)
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Translations
My native language is Brazilian Portuguese, but I had to make the though choice to write the finished dialog either on english first or portuguese first. For a wider reach, I chose to prioritize the english version. I will be working on a portuguese translation for Flow, but I cannot predict a date in which the translated pages will be available, since this is just a side thing I do for a hobbie at the moment. I all I can say is that, as soon as I finish, the translated version will be posted, ideally, on all the platforms the english version is.
#art#artists on tumblr#comics#original comic#webcomic#webtoon#tapas#tapas comic#my art#drawing#digital art#flow#flow comic#space#bunny
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Twitter -- Write Your Own Epitaph
Now that it seems Twitter is going to resort to its old flame-worthy self, I’ll be withdrawing even more from that particular platform. More than anything, it’s because Twitter has turned into Facebook in terms of its algorithms. I no longer see the people I want to see. Instead my feed is full of people the algorithm wants me to see due to the amount of engagement their profiles receive. I know a lot of you have worked hard for those blue checks, but I’m just not interested in 24/7 self-promotion anymore—yours or mine. It’s all become just so much noise.
I’m not leaving Twitter altogether just yet. I’m taking a wait and see stance, but if the past is any indication, it’ll devolve into people screaming, and I’m just done with that.
Frankly, I’ve pulled back from a lot of social media lately. I remember doom-scrolling one day and just wondering why was I bothering? Absolutely nothing I saw in my feed made me happy or even made me think. I’d just become numb to it all.
I pay to get my news through a reliable news source, so individual Twitter-takes are irrelevant to me. Having a large follower count or an even bigger bank account doesn’t equate to taste or intelligence, and I have better things to do than fan the flames for narcissists who need constant validation through clicks.
I’m on Facebook because of family, my job, and close friends. I also belong to several groups on Facebook and tend to spend more time in private groups than anywhere. Likewise with Slack—I’m in a couple of private groups there, and I tend to focus my energy in that direction. I run my blog posts through Tumblr, so if you’re still there, you can give me a follow there, as well.
I’m here at my blog and newsletter, and I’ll try a few new apps to see if something fits, but otherwise, I’ve resumed reading, watching television/movies that interest me, and writing. My anxiety levels have gone down and I feel calmer, and something else—I’m feeling much more creative.
I already follow several authors on their newsletters, so I won’t lose touch with the people I enjoy interacting with on Twitter. Insofar as my free time goes, I’ve simply found much better ways to spend it.
I’ve read several books in the last couple of months. Here are the ones worth mentioning:
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown — Probably the best and most thorough history of the Donner Party that I’ve read. It reads like a novel and is perfect in every way.
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell — History, fiction, and mystery all rolled into one, it is a certifiable page-turner that you will not be able to put down. Stay for the afterword, I promise you won’t regret it.
When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà, Mara Faye Lethem (Translator) — This is a series of short interconnected vignettes about people in a village high in the Pyrenees, their lives, and their ghosts. Poetic and brilliant.
Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi — I reviewed this one in a previous post.
Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum — A haunting little novella that is perfect for a cold autumn night.
In terms of movies and television:
Werewolf by Night — An absolutely delightful take on the 1940s horror films. The show had a lot of heart and a great cast.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982) — This is the 1982 stage production with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn in the title roles. As I rewatched it for the first time in over thirty years, I found myself smiling with enjoyment and simply marveled at how wonderful and relaxed I felt. Nothing like a little play about a serial killer barber and his demented cannibalistic lover to bring perspective to my life.
She Will — I watched this over the summer, but I wanted to mention it, because it is horror and a wonderfully good one. It’s about old women and young women and healing. Very nicely done.
I’m currently reading Alex Bledsoe’s Dandelion, which is a great possession novel set in the rural south. If you’re looking for a cool series to watch, I highly recommend Cracow Monsters (Polish) on Netflix and I’m currently watching Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, because who isn’t?
Of course, I’m spending more time here on my blog and in the newsletter and writing my own stories. I have a short story that had too pat of an ending, and I think I’ve now discovered a way to fix it before I resubmit it. My horror novel is coming along nicely, and I’ve got a couple of other projects on the back burner that I’m working on as time allows.
So if you’re in interested, keep your eye out for me. If I land on a new app that fits me, I’ll give it a shout-out here. The best place to find me, though, will always be here and through my newsletter. I won’t blast every blog post through the newsletter, but I will do summaries from time to time.
Meanwhile, watch for me, and I’ll watch for you, as well.
#Daniel James Brown#Maggie O’Farrell#Irene Solà#Naben Ruthnum#Werewolf by Night#Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982)#She Will#Dandelion Alex Bledsoe#Cracow Monsters#Guillermo del Toro#Cabinet of Curiosities
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Ahistorical, Absurd, and Unsustainable (Thanks + Sources and Further Reading)
This post concludes the essay-as-written. I'm going to try to get a full version up on AO3 within the next few days, which I will link here (ETA: here) and on my tumblr generally. It will have properly hotlinked footnotes and a table of contents. It will also probably be all in one chapter, as it was intended to be read, with the exception of the resources below.
Thanks to @codenamesazanka, who provided me a lot of useful links to resources on Japanese law when I was still just spitting overheated hypotheses into the void. Thanks also to @robotlesbianjavert, @aysall and my tumblr-less BF for their game beta-reads, their catches of some grammar and spelling mistakes that would have ranged from annoying to mortifying, and for the checks on my thought process and organizational flow. Thanks to everyone in my chat group for putting up with me when I had a mini "oh god what am I doing I'm not a lawyer" meltdown over my first draft Logistics conclusions.
And thanks to all of the people on tumblr who read and reblogged this! If any of you want some further reading on the topics I discussed, or if you just want to double-check my information, see below to conclude:
Ahistorical, Absurd, and Unsustainable: An Examination of the Mass Arrest of the Paranormal Liberation Front
Introduction and Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four and Conclusion
Sources and Further Reading
I tended to start with Wikipedia and then either follow their source links or Google for further information when I needed more detail or to clear up the occasional bit of conflicting information. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking quite far enough in advance to save a link to every single source I used, but I’ve done my best to either dig them back up in retrospect or find another source relaying similar information.
All direct quotes, excerpted panels and canonical information comes from Viz's official translation of My Hero Academia or My Hero Academia: Vigilantes.
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Overviews on the pre-war Japanese incidents I cited for comparative purposes:
The March 15 Incident
The February 26 Incident
The Rice Riots. Further information sourced from the rather more detailed Japanese page.
The formation and immediate ban of the Farmer-Labor Party.
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General reading on uprisings, riots, coups, and protests that otherwise got out of hand.
The Era of Popular Violence
Rebellions in Japan
Attempted Coups in Japan
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On Aum Shinrikyo and the sarin gas attacks:
Wikipedia has some basics, but further information was sourced from a Congress report on Aum some seven months after the attack and this Aum retrospective written last year.
The Wikipedia page on Underground.
For another story wrestling with these topics, consider giving the anime Mawaru Penguindrum a whirl. Without explicitly telling you that's what it's doing, it deals with the difficulties—stigma leading to ostracization, depression and radicalization—faced by the children of a fictionalized Aum Shinrikyo expy some years following an equally obvious fictionalized expy of the sarin gas attacks, as well as critically depicting the state of society that may have lead members of Japan’s “Lost Generation” to cults like Aum to begin with. There’s a good but spoilerific breakdown on that aspect of the show here.
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International referents:
India’s Million Man March, and a BBC report on the arrests/detainments.
An article about a lawsuit brought by the ACLU over the Baltimore arrests, and the cite on 24-hour releases.
This article is my source of the 1,200 number on the mass trials in Egypt. This one is a more in-depth look at the problems with the trials, while this one shows that the mass trial problems are still ongoing.
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Japan’s laws:
The Peace Preservation Laws
English translations of the Penal Code and the Subversive Activities Prevention Act.
An overview of the state of criminal conspiracy law in Japan circa 2007, looking at the first incarnation of what would eventually become the 2017 law.
A scathing opinion piece on said 2017 law.
A citation on the Subversive Activities Prevention Act being invoked against Aum, and only Aum. Dated year-of, but there have been no invocations of it since, despite Japan seeing a marked upswing in anti-new religious movement sentiment after the sarin gas attacks.
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Japan’s penal system:
A broad overview on Wikipedia.
Two sources for numbers, one less recent, but with more context and detail here; another with the most recent numbers available here.
Cite for 2018 number of arrests.
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The trial process and criminal justice:
An exhaustive report on the structures, status, and proceedings of criminal justice in Japan at every stage from the initial arrest to post-release services circa 2019.
The Wikipedia article on pre-trial detention cells in Japan, which has a decent overview of why they’re controversial. See also the entry for the role of confessions in the indictment process.
Cite for the number of deaths caused by law enforcement in Japan in 2018.
An overview on lay judges, and an article on the Japanese public’s broad discomfort with the system.
A good article on the high conviction rate and what activists call “hostage justice.”
Another good article on the conviction rate, this one touching on several of the aspects I mention about lenient sentences and coerced confessions, as well as some that I didn't, like corrupt or compromised judges.
A broad look at attorneys in Japan and, buried in an article on the lay judge system because I could not for the life of me find the interview I read that talked about it, a citation for the unpopularity of defense attorneys. (Footnote 365)
A Wikipedia page for Yasuda Yoshihiro, who I quipped about in a footnote and refrained from explaining further. Long story short, he’s maybe the example of an unpopular defense attorney in Japan, an anti-death penalty activist who has served as defense in a number of high-profile cases, absolutely the most notable of which was that of Asahara Shoukou, the leader of Aum Shinrikyo.
An interview with the CEO of Cross Career, an employment agency founded by an ex-convict and dedicated to helping others like him find work. Talks some about the stigma around felons and how it impacts recidivism in Japan.
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On children in Japan:
An exhaustive rundown on the state of alternative childcare in Japan.
An article about the way children’s independence is founded on a strong faith in their community, and a post that mentions the TV program Hajimete no Otsukai (My First Errand).
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On AEDs:
An article from relatively early on—back in 2007—in the rollout. From the following year, there’s this rather drier but informative article from a medical journal discussing the effectiveness of the movement thus far and steps that could be taken to make the public more confident in using the devices.
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Further relevant My Hero Academia meta:
Tumblr user @codenamesazanka has posted some excerpts and discussion about Murakami’s Underground and how the issues Murakami raises can also be seen in My Hero Academia.
My take on the MLA and quirk supremacy, part of a much longer piece covering my general lore on the MLA, its members, and its history. For some more specific discussion on why I think the series itself supports the view that the MLA at large was not as hardline quirk supremacist as Geten claims, see Geten’s section “On Quirk Supremacy (and Re-Destro, still)” in this post about my headcanons for the canonical MLA members.
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2020 July Update
Things have gone slowly... again.
The good news is that the game is now submitted to the console "authority" and it's entirely off my hands. Once it gets through the console "checking" process, it can get a release date and we can sprint towards release. Until then, it'd be at least a month's wait or more until I hear anything. Understandably, their checking process is impacted by Corona, so wait times are increased.
On my end, I was also slow to submit the game. I submitted it late late June, since I ended up spending 7 weeks fixing bugs (and not 2-3 weeks like I estimated in the last blog post). There were just SO many bugs - now squished, thankfully. Since this is a blog post, I'll talk about what kind of bugs I've been fixing.
The other thing that slowed down the submission process was simply due to unfamiliarity with how these submissions proceed. There were pages and pages of stuff to read, guidelines to follow, and legalese to wade through. It really made me wish I had a publisher to guide me through the process. But I was able to clear it with a couple days work. I had an impression that the submission process went like A->B->C->D, with no room for concurrency. Turns out I could have done steps B & C at the same time and sped things up by 2 weeks... So that's that. I'm taking that as a lesson for next time.
The Console Revealed
What is this console that I talk about so stealthily? So that this blog update isn't completely unexciting, I'll reveal which console I've been working on until now. Drumroll please!
It's Switch!
We actually got the Switch dev kit in late 2017. From my understanding, around this time in the USA, the Switch kit was quite hard to get for indies as it was just starting out and high in demand. So I was surprised that my application got approved. I didn't know it then, but the game would still need a few more years of development...
Tweaking performance and fixing bugs
Here you can see my "expert" playtest setup. Since the Switch is more powerful while docked, I needed to playtest it in handheld mode, so I could catch and profile any problem areas where the framerate was unsteady. The most common thing that caused framerate drops were areas that went overboard with lighting. For these areas, I'd tweak or swap out the lights with alternatives that looked similar while also being less computationally intensive. Maintaining 60 FPS is a must!
An old camera (Nikon D3100) trained at the screen recorded my playthrough and would let me rewind to any moment a bug occurred. It could only record in 10 minute chunks, so I'd have to repeatedly repress the record button. On the plus side, because it's so old the movie file sizes were small and convenient.
The number one bug that I tracked and fixed in the past two months was what I dub the "Gear Ring De-equip" bug. The Gear Ring functions as customizable shortcut keys for the player to map items and tools (see an old video demonstration HERE). Through regular use of the inventory, somehow the equipped items on the Gear Ring would be de-equipped. It was an elusive bug since the de-equip event would happen very quietly and you would only suspect something had gone wrong much later. By then, the trail had gone cold and you weren't sure if a de-equip had actually occurred or if the player had simply de-equipped the item themselves. Two other playtesters noted that something left the Gear Ring in their playthrough, but I dismissed them. "Are you sure you didn't just de-equip it yourself?" It was a bug that bred mistrust and discord. I didn't truly believe it until it happened to me...
Luckily, with the camera setup, I was finally able to track it. In the literal 67th video, I caught a live instance of the bug occurring. After which, it was all too easy to recreate the exact same inventory and gear ring setup and replicate it.
(With this exact item layout, combine the 2nd item with the 14th item... and viola! Gear Ring de-equip!)
After fixing this bug, I then proceeded to fix it 5 more times. Every time I fixed it, it would later reappear through a different mechanism.
Why do bugs like this happen? Underneath, there are two lists of items. Tools on the right and items on the left. Items can occur multiple times because they're consumable. Both lists start counting their indexes with the value 0. However, both items and tools co-exist on the gear ring. So to uniquely identify an entry you need both the item ID and the data index. Failure to check both data types resulted in bugs like the Gear Ring de-equip. Now throw in a bunch of item operations that can confuse the system. You can split items, combine items, swap items, or discard items. The more freedom you allow, the more ways there are for the system to trip up.
If you didn't get all that, that's alright. It was needlessly complicated. Imagine doing more and better and with less code and less bugs! Such a thing is possible if you start with the right design. I'm definitely taking notes here on how to design inventory systems for next time. In the meanwhile, I'm very confident I've squished all inventory related bugs.
Other bugs squashed and features implemented in the past 2 months include the end game arts not unlocking properly, collection percentages climbing beyond 100, stray doors floating in the sky, low HP sfx blaring when loading different files, balance tweaks on bosses, a max HP display when the menu is open - too many to count really! It was only after I fixed them all that I was confident enough to move forward with submitting the game. I apologize for the delay this will cause!
PC version back in progress
You may recall in the March 2020 update I talk about how in pursuing the Switch version, I unwittingly ruined the PC version. Well, since the game is "done" now and I'm waiting for it to go through the checking process, I've started working to reclaim the PC version.
And there is some good news to report. The PC version can compile again! Of course, it will need to have some work done, since it was late 2017 when I last had a functioning PC build.
The opening menu is broken, the underlying save file system needs to be updated, and the controls... oh Lord, the controls. Controls were probably the #1 factor in pushing me to pursue a console version first. There are just so many controller options. Even just the usual suspects are numerous: Xbox, Nintendo, Sony, Logitech, Hori, 8Bitdo, Steam...
One of the number one complaints received regarding the flash game (which was keyboard primarily) was that I didn't allow controller rebinding to start. It was then that I learned of the vast array of different keyboard types.
(Ever heard of an Azerty keyboard?)
I shan't make the same mistake twice! One of the things I'll definitely tackle is the Right/Left face button feud when it comes to which should one should be 'confirm' and which one is 'cancel'. I want to allow the player to choose which is their "YES" and "NO" preference and allow that to overlap other actions like Attack or Jump.
Even after control bindings are taken care of, some things just won't translate well. The right control stick is currently used to access the gear ring and for fishing. Keyboards have no right stick. Aiming the crossbow with a full 360 degrees of range is done with the left control stick - if keyboard only, would the crossbow simply be locked to the 8 cardinal directions? What about those tutorial prompts with button graphics (e.g. "Press 'B' to Jump"). If using the playstation controller, it'd need to be the CROSS symbol. How many button graphics are we gonna load into the text module? What if the player, mid-playthrough, decides to swap out controllers? Indeed, there are many issues to tackle where controls are concerned...
Perhaps I'm overthinking it because even some AAA games get this wrong (Dark Souls has 'B' as 'Yes' on Switch, and it's not remappable, which I find quite annoying). I've seen games on consoles where the controls wouldn't mention the console's controller at all but instead mention a mouse and keyboard. Or, if you remapped the controls, the tutorial prompts still showed the old control bindings, making for a confusing experience. I definitely want to do the controls justice, so this will take some time.
Phoenotopia DISCORD Channels
Ryan and Firana have been running a Phoenotopia discord since late 2017, which I promoted on this blog once. It's been a couple years and it turns out that the old discord link I promoted expired. It's long overdue, but their channel could use another shoutout. Here's their channel : https://discord.gg/cnjrYST
Also, Khalid recently reached out to me about creating a Phoenotopia discord as well. I see no reason why we can't have 2 or more discords, so he has created that one with my blessing as well. You can find his discord here : https://discord.gg/cfnsCwy
I personally don't use Discords, since I'm very busy and there's too much new tech to keep up with. I hear there's a Tik Tok now? Should I create a Tik Tok for Phoenotopia? Hmmm...
Anyway, if you'd like to chat with other people who are similarly enthused for Phoenotopia, do check them out!
Fan Arts
We have five new fanart submissions this time around from regulars and new alike.
Cody G. returns with this pair of sketches of Gail. One seeks to answer the question, "how is Gail so strong?" Cody's answer is that under her sleeves she's actually really buff! This might be the most ripped rendition of Gail yet. Also, in the right drawing, the letter 'E' kinda melds with her bat, making it look like a keyblade!
What if Gale was a Shrek character? A new artist, Samu Kajin, from tumblr answers that question with a rendition of Gail sporting ogre style antennae. Samu Kajin says she can be called "Gaek" or "Shrale". I like the poncho!
Shafiyahh returns with a pretty portrait of Gail. Unlike their previous digital pieces, this one was made with color pencils! I like how her hair blends pink and purple colors together, and this pattern is also present in the eyes. Reminds me of a certain character. And the eyes are so sparkly despite using color pencils! Major props!
Negativus Core also returns with this relevant image of Gail, masked and running, presumably from Corona. It gave me quite a chuckle! I like the angle and tilt of this run pose because you can see the sole of her foot - that's how you know she's at full sprint! A skillful blur localized to her left foot show's just the right amount of motion. Gotta love the robot's expression too!
A rare 3D art has emerged. Dany Q crafted this adorable figure of Gail that is as cute as a button! I like how well it translates the pixel character over to 3D, capturing the 3 stitches on her shirt and even catching her stray strand of hair. It kinda reminds me of a Wallace and Gromit character, so I can picture it moving and animating in that unique claymation style.
Next Time
I'm ~80% confident we can clear the Switch console checking process and drop the trailer with a release date before the next blog post. But once again, if things go slowly, you'll hear from us in 2 months...
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Fantasy tropes to avoid (and ideas to reinvent them)
Hello aspiring writers of Tumblr! How is it going?
This is my first post on here and I decided to dedicate it not only to the genre I am writing in, fantasy, but also to a crucial topic, which relates and affects every genre in different ways.
TROPES.
It's lazy to build stories on something that has already been written a million times before. I don't like tropes at all as a reader. If I wanted to read the same stereotyped story all over again I would just stick to the previous book I have read with that same plot, so I would also spare myself the trouble of learning the unpronounceable names of these new stereotyped characters.
On the other hand, as a writer it might be tempting to give in and use tropes. "Why not? After all everybody uses them and I am already SO busy writing the actual chapters of my story."
I tell you what: every time a trope threatens to slide into your story, crush the page and throw it across the room, yelling:
Seriously, though: tropes are just general, undeveloped ideas. That's what you need to do, develop them. In this way only will you ever be able to unleash their hidden potential.
Without further ado, may I present you three of the most common fantasy tropes and hints to reimagine them.
*Keep in mind that this is only my personal view on the subject and you can either agree or disagree with it.
1. The chosen one
This one is the most obvious one and I am also quite sure that you expected to find it on the list. Interesting, Watson: I guess that it makes this article stereotyped too…
Well we all know those characters. Those characters that were meant to be the one. The prophecies had spoken about them long before they were even born. They might as well be the only one capable of using magic or wielding a certain weapon. This character is either the only one who pushes forward the storyline or that one protagonist who does everything except choosing anything actively in the plot. There is no in between. Either way, they only possess notable qualities. Of course there is no trace of flaws. I mean, they are the hero.
Have a side-kick (or co-protagonist) be the chosen one instead
A great idea, if you really want to insert this trope in your story, is to use it to your advantage and surprise the reader with it. Who could ever expect that the protagonist was actually never the chosen one? Or that another character is the chosen one from the start?
To see this trope well recreated I recommend watching the BBC TV series "Merlin" in which a young sorcerer, Merlin himself, must help the future heir to the throne, the prince Arthur Pendragon, to fulfill his destiny and become the greatest king who has ever lived. Arthur has no clue of what has been foretold, nor that he even is at the centre of a prophecy. All of Merlin and Arthur's choices will determine either the glorious success or the tragic failure of the quest; all of this while Merlin hides his powers from Arthur and everyone else as magic is condemned in Camelot.
2. Overused fantasy Races
...which translates mostly into putting Elves, Dwarves, Trolls, dragons and any of the Tolkenian elements and creatures in your own story. Now, don't get me wrong. Tolkien is one of my favourite authors, hence I am always captivated by those fantasy novels that display these Races in their stories. But I don't want to read a copy, I want to read your own masterpiece.
That's exactly why you should:
Redesign the well-known fantasy Races and adapt them to your world and to your theme or just create brand new ones
Personally, I absolutely LOVE to craft new fantasy Races. I believe that it adds depth and realism to the world-building (which does not consist only of geography). Each civilisation brings their culture, their traditions to your story and that's what makes a world truly breathe. In my opinion, the purpose of fantasy is not to focus just on the epic deeds narrated or on endless battles enriched with magic and legends, though those are very important part of this genre and they must be just as equally developed. The reason why I write fantasy is to spread awareness around the vast variety of themes that coexist in our society nowadays, in the first place global warming, the racism that still today people experience, LGBTQ characters which are often unrepresented both in literary fiction and TV. What better genre than fantasy is there to represent diversity and multiculturalism? On these latter points I will never not be thanking and loving the works of Steven Erikson which are part of the high-fantasy series "Malazan Book of the Fallen". Diversity and the brand new variety of intriguing Races are a huge part of what makes Malazan such an awesome fantasy series. I refer to Steven Erikson as the main inspiration of my writing and I recommend you to give a try to his books, if you have the chance. I warn you though, that it is not any light or easy reading.
The other option might be to reinvent the well-known Races. Tolkien himself did not "invent" the Elves of Middle Earth, rather he made a legend of his own after having studied the myths and ballads of ancient civilities. Then he developed their language, their history and their culture as if they were a real existing population. Every single aspect of Tolkien's worldbuilding can be read in his Silmarillion. I think it is a must-read for anyone who is looking forward to reinvent the traditional fantasy Races or just to know more about them.
3. Unfailing magic systems
Magic can be anything you want. That doesn't mean, however, that it should be your escape point: stuff in your story should happen because of your characters, not only because of magic as it is simpler to put it that way. A magic system should be rational and engaging. The reader needs to be able to understand exactly how, when and why does magic work in your world. No, the answer should not be "because it's fantasy."
Set rules, limits and costs to the magic in your world
How do character gain magic abilities? Is magic accessible to everyone or is it elitist? Is it taught in specialised schools or is it something that resonates from within? Are wizards free to practice magic or is it banned? Or maybe are there only specific areas of magic that are prohibited? What is its source? Does magic come from higher beings or are spells more powerful the stronger the mage's will? Does magic need a catalyst (such as a talisman, a weapon etc.) to be casted? If not, do wizard recite spells? Do they need to trace specific symbols? Otherwise is it necessary to make specific hand gestures in order to release their powers? Does it exist only one system for all mages to use or are there multiple kinds? Last but not least, what are magic users in your world called? It's all up to you to decide. Ask questions and let each question lead you to another one. You need to know exactly how your magic system works and so does the reader.
What I love about crafting magic systems is the freedom to establish the boundaries and the natural laws that apply to your world, as magic is a huge part of the story if you're writing fantasy. Well, this could also lead to another question: is your world actually ruled by magic forces or do magic abilities have just a marginal role in the world building?
Remember that magic should not be used as an excuse to fill eventual plot holes in your story. Your magic system should function correctly and it should always stay true to itself. In other words, it must be believable.
And I can hear you thinking "but it‘s magic!"
Then guess what? You need to make the readers believe that magic is real!
First of all, set the rules, the limits and the costs that apply to your system. Having done that, you'll have finished most of the work that concerns the use of magic in your world. Most, not all. If you are a bit of a perfectionist like I am, consider the importance of developing your system furthermore by asking yourself questions, such as the one I have written above.
Rules: decide what makes your system work and what magic can be casted for.
Limits: decide what kind of tasks your magic system cannot perform.
Costs: decide from what kind of source is magic obtained from and, literally, what does it cost to mages to obtain their magic from this source (as Rumpelstiltskin of OUAT wisely says: "all magic comes with a price.")
The most excellent and well-rounded magic systems I have ever come across are the ones created by Brandon Sanderson in this "Mistborn" trilogy: allomancy, feruchemy and hemalurgy. All three magic system permit the magicians to use a wide range of abilities based on the metals they can "burn". Magic originates in the Shards and from Preservation and Ruin, two god-like beings. If you're already interested, I definitely recommend you to check Sanderson's novels out: they are a useful resource of inspiration.
I hope this post has somehow given you the inspiration to go and write right now.
If you have questions about some of the points or requests for the next articles, don't be shy and send me a message! I will try to cover your topic as soon as possible and as best as I can (and I will also tag your profile, if you agree).
Thank you all for your attention. Bisous^^
#books#fantasy#writing#steven erikson#malazan book of the fallen#bbc merlin#mistborn#brandon sanderson#tolkien#silmarillion#fantasy tropes#writing advice#chosen one#magic system#fantasy races
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Leon Fanbook Translation: Dream Change
Link to the Takumi Fanbook
Introduction
Profile
Famous Lines
Relationships
Leon&Kamui + Words of Love
Daily Routine + Cooking Showdown
Fashion Check
Another day, another update. I don’t really want to keep repeating myself, so I’ll just say: things are the same as before. I really wish they weren’t but that’s where it’s at. At least bringing out these updates still makes me feel productive.
Before we continue, here is the same note as usual: As I am still without a real income, I would very much appreciate it if you could throw me a couple bucks via my ko-fi account. It doesn’t have to be a lot, just what you think my translations are worth really.
- All the photos on this post were taken by the lovely @zaziki7
My comments are in italics
I’ll be using Japanese names
Pages 34-35
Dream Change
The retainer swap of your dreams! (!?)
Among the Hoshidan and Nohrian royal siblings, the units they form with their retainers are commonly referred to as „Team [Sibling's name]“. Their relationship is defined by a strong sense of loyalty and support. Now, what would happen if you were to switch them around?
Leon: “I saw it. All you did was a Fashion Check? Here you two go again, spouting a bunch of self-indulgent nonsense... How about I switch you out for some of my siblings' retainers?”
Odin: “Eh!? But we only wanted to provide a bit of fanservice... Wait, you are serious?”
Zero: “You must be joking, Lord Leon... Ha, of course, I see what kind of challenge this is now. This will be an entirely new way for me to bring myself joy.”
Retainer Swap!! The case of Marx
Marx: “Although I treasure both my retainers a great deal, and therefore don't like the idea of letting go of either of them.... How about swapping Pieri with Odin? For some strange reason, you can see Odin and Lazward breathing at the same rhythm in battle. I am curious to see what would happen should they fight side-by-side.”
Lazward: “So it has somehow come to this.”
Odin: “We shall again wreak havoc as a combined force!”
Lazward: “Let's fetch Luna as well.”
Pieri: “Ah, it's Zero!”
Zero: “Pieri, I see. To think I would be joined together with a noble's daughter...”
Pieri: “I don't really get it, but I'm fine with your talk so long as it's fun.”
Retainer Swap!! The case of Camilla
Camilla: “Let me think... I am in the, of course, wonderful position to only have girls as retainers. However Leon doesn't have a single one among his... If we were to switch, I wouldn't be able to discuss strategy in the bath anymore. Is it fine if opt out at this point in time?”
Luna: “He he. See, that's how much trust there is between Lady Camilla and me. Too bad for you, boys!~”
Belka: “…..”
Odin: “Hng... Why do Luna's words pierce my heart like a keen blade of ice?!“
Zero: “Because they've made you aware of just how consuming the passion between Lady Camilla and her retainers really is.”
Odin, they are lesbians.
Retainer Swap!! The case of Elise
Elise: “Eh!? Oh no, what to do!? Since I love Elfie and Harold so so much, I can't even think of switching them out! Ah, but it might be fun so long as it's just for a day. I can have a tea party with Odin and Zero and have them tell me aaaall about my big brother!”
Odin: “As expected of the height of loveliness and pride of Nohr, Lady Elise! Your sensibility is akin to a trail of clouds drifting over the sea of stars.
Zero: “In other words: you have the right idea.”.
Harold: “Oh dear, I have to watch closely so as to make sure those two don't go putting any weird ideas into her head!”
Elfie: “There's no need for you to stick that closely to her either, Harold, because I'll be sure to follow Lady Elise wherever she goes...”
Retainer Swap!! The case of Foleo
Foleo: “Although I've been agonizing over this quite a bit... I've decided I wish to switch Eponine for Odin. I'd also be fine switching Ophelia for Zero. You see, that way both my father and I would have a father and child duo as retainers. I think that would be oh so wonderful. I would be very happy to fight together with him as well. Ah, but... I think Eponine might dislike this arrangement.“
Odin: “Impossible! Are you saying you are also a chosen one?“
Ophelia: “I am, oh dark one! In order to save the world from evil's vile clutches, I have crossed time and space and am now consolidating my power.“
Zero: “… Don't say anything.“
Eponine: “W- What do I do... urk!“
Zero: “The moment you open your mouth, you'll be spilling all sorts of colourful expressions at me... am I right?“
He literally says “Your mouth will overflow with hot things” which is probably supposed to be more naughty speak, but I am kind of uncomfortable with him using it with his daughter, so I left it a bit more toned down. Just letting you know that.. yeah he is still using his speech with his daughter, no wonder she is the way she is.
Retainer Swap!! The case of Takumi
Takumi: “Eh... But I don't really want to switch... Prince Leon's retainers are an especially weird set of people, so I doubt we'll be able to build a good rapport with each other.“
Odin: “Now now, Prince Takumi. Don't be like that!“
Zero: “Compatability isn't something you can tell from a distance... Who knows? You might be in for a climatic surprise!
Hinata: “Hey, hey, what's with those guys?“
Oboro: //If they lay so much as a finger on Lord Takumi, I'll destroy them!!//
RIP Odin and Zero
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Sorry again for the small size of some of these images. They show up perfectly normal on my pc, but tumblr decided to shrink them down for whatever reason. I hope this doesn’t bother you too much..
Next up is the interview, which features A LOT of text, so it might be a while longer than this update. Could take me a month or so at worst. haha;; All I can ask is for your patience and hope you still look forward to it all the same.
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Hannah Montana
Is Tumblr a blog or a social network?
14-year-old me probably didn’t care as he mindlessly reblogged vines, but now being a uni student who’s life is now media and communications, it really begs the question: which is it?
According to Blogging writer, Jill Walker Rettberg, a blog is a ‘relatively free-form type of social media’ that is a ‘discussion or information site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries (“posts”) typically displayed in reverse chronological order.’ Tumblr ticks the hell out of these boxes.
Blogs also fall into one of three categories: diary-style blog, filter blog and the topic-driven blog and, if I’ve learnt anything about Tumblr, it that there is a Tumblr for everyone. Petty revenge stories, confessions of a retail worker, John Malaney worship page, ugly renaissance babies or literally the same picture of Dave Courier every day (look it up, it’s real). To quote a great philosopher of our time: ‘I want it, I got it.’
Tumblr is also often referred to as a microblog, meaning that it is ‘a blogging platform where the amount of information that can be shared per author is either enforced to be very short or just typically very short’ (x). It’s settled then. Tumblr is a blog.
...
The actual gag is that Tumblr can also be used as a social network.
Direct messaging, liking, sharing, commenting. All essential aspects of a social network. A social network is defined as “web-based services that
construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system,
articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and
view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others in the system.” (Thanks, Eugenia Siapera for writing Understanding New Media)
Let’s see if Tumblr also ticks all these boxes:
One. A public or semi-public profile within a bounded system: believe it or not, I’m not actually Miranda Cosgrove sipping a coke behind a computer screen as my icon suggests. It’s clear that Tumblr has the capability to create Tumblr-specific profiles that everyone could see - as discrete or open users want their online personas to be.
Two. Following other blogs is a quintessential experience of a tumblr. Finding blogs you like to curate your dashboard is a route many Tumblr users take. This is a definite translation of ‘articulating a list of other users’. Even you can see it, even though I rather you not because it’s quite embarrassing. Just clicking that following button will show you every person a person follows. That checks off point three: ‘view and traverse their list of connections’, etc.
So whether it's direct messaging through Tumblr’s asks, liking and sharing in the notes or commenting your own captions below posts - Tumblr really does have it all as a social network.
So, in the end, which is it: a blog or social network?
It’s Hannah Montanna!
The best of both worlds.
#mda20009#hannah montana#kiki palmer#ariana grande#media#social media#blog#culture#digital#internet#tumblr
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Thank you so much for looking up the sources! Many great artists on Pixiv get their art reposted/stolen constantly and the fact that you actually take your time to look them up truly is admirable.
Thank you for letting me know you appreciate it! I like a little puzzle every now and again and getting to slam down the source is a nice buzz.
Unfortunately, Tumblr somewhat encourages reposting (to clarify, reblogging - pressing that green arrow button - good, reposting is coping and pasting to make a new post - bad) as only new posts show up in tag searches. This means if your aim is to become the “go-to blog for a particular type of fandom content” and get loads of followers quickly (in graph theory speak, become a ‘hub’), scraping art websites and making tonnes of posts sounds like a “great” idea, particularly without posting comments as an isolated image fits most blogs in terms of aesthetics. I get why new peeps innocently do it and I ain’t blanket mad at people!
But credit-less reposting sucks. Ever been in a group of people and you’re feeling particularly quiet? Finally, there’s a pause and you say a damn good joke. Barely anyone hears, but then the prat next to you repeats it and gets a huge laugh. Saying “hey, that was my joke” sounds petty and bitter but having your opportunity to make friends taken away hurts. When someone turns round and says “that was [your] joke! Good one!” you feel supported. Infinitely better would be if the prat was not a prat and gave you the platform to speak for yourself if you wanted!
For those wanting to be a fandom hub, let the content creators speak for themselves! Find posts made by the artists/writers/video editors, and then share their posts, including their commentary. You will get a million times more respect in the community from content creators for doing that. This drives your followers to the content creators where they might be running commissions or a patreon or a ko-fi, and them getting more followers means they get a buzz and produce more content for you to reblog to your hub. Nice!
What if they’re not on tumblr? For fanfics you can share the summary and link, for videos you can embed rather than reuploading (make sure their name is there!). Pics are harder. Not everyone has the time to manage a million websites, especially if the website is in another language, and that’s where we get this scraping from. If you want to share someone’s work from another platform please ask to repost it first. Sometimes artists put in their profile that it’s okay to share with correct credit. If nothing is written there, assume you’ll need permission. Sourcing without permission, even correctly, particularly when the artist has in their profile “don’t repost” is still naughty. Sometimes you might even need to use google translate to ask. Hard work? Yeah, but you’re trying to curate a fandom hub, a little effort goes a long way!
If you still really want to share it but they said no to reposting, just share the link to the work without the image so people have to click through - that way the artist gets the traffic. If that upsets you, double-check your motivation - is it to share a picture you absolutely adore, or is it to maximise your reblogs and follows?
I don’t want to get overly sanctimonious about it particularly as it’s easy enough to find posts I’ve reblogged that haven’t stuck by this, and other content creators might have other preferences (check these notes I guess) but my sourcing very best practice would be to include:- The name of the piece and a link to the original piece itself, also putting that as the post’s source (not your blog, your blog is not the source, just the OP).- The (user)name of the artist including a link to their profile.- A link to the project it’s part of if relevant (like the comic or themed collection).- Give the artist the tumblr post link so they can see if it’s doing well, it might encourage them to make a tumblr and make your life easier.If you want to do extra:- Add a link to the creator’s commissions page or ko-fi etc- Add a link to a few other pieces they’ve done you like so people have to click through (e.g. if it’s to a tweet, your followers with twitter might click through your post and retweet the other work as well!)- Let the creator know if they got nice comments (same when sharing fanfics/vids) that they may not have seen. Everyone loves nice comments and tags!I’m sure other people have other ideas :).
If you want to help encourage sourcing: - Reblog posts that you can trace back to the creator themselves.- If it didn’t start with the creator, only reblog when it’s sourced by the original uploader, preferably if it says “posted with creator’s permission”.- Add sources to unsourced posts you like that are gaining traction - it doesn’t take long to hunt down. Or check the notes to see if someone’s already done that and reblog that post. You don’t want to do that too often as it might encourage the reposter but at the same time I’d want someone to help me out if my work was reposted.
Like people who slowly fade away from conversations when they’re spoken over, people stop creating work when their work is reposted, particularly unsourced. And that sucks for everyone, including your hub blog when it runs out of content. So help people out by sourcing and don’t be a prat!
#breezytealytalks#I like to help by finding the sources but I get :/ when I know the artist doesn't want reposting#do you source and therefore reblog sharing more?#I'd like the source added but others might not#Anonymous
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Hello, i love your blog! May i ask? Do you have any recommendation fan-blogs (in english) of suzuki hiroki and wada takuma ? I want to fangirling them but not enough resource of informations about them :") thank you, sorry for my bad english:")))
Hi! Thank you for loving my Tumblr page! ❤ Well throughout my time here on Tumblr, I haven’t seen any actual Tumblr pages specifically focused on Wada Takuma or Suzuki Hiroki.
I do know that @silverwind likes Takkun, but she doesn’t really post any actual updates but photos from his blog and that. So no actual translations or anything else of the sort. She has posted about some things such as his new photobook and that, but like I said it’s not much as she’s no specifically focused on Takkun. As for Suzuki Hiroki, there’s none I have seen any at all that are specifically about him at all.
Even though the resources might be quite little. You can always collect them over time. As for me, I collect info about Tsubasa one day at a time because there is always something new that I can learn about him and it’s fun to learn about it. I even read through his old blog posts and find out some fun facts and things that I didn’t know about him (which I’m still need to finish now that I remember that xD). And even if you’re Japanese is limited that’s okay. You don’t need to start translating right away (and Google Translate isn’t 100% correct), so even photos and things like that are always good. If you do want to know more about them individually and in English, there are a few places you can check!
Suzuki Hiroki:
MyDramaList.info (You will find basically EVERYTHING on here! But you CANNOT ask or post download links, etc.You can see the rules for them here since a friend of mine is on there so she knows the rules.)
Anime on Stage (Actor of the Day)
English Wikipedia (There’s not much here)
Agency Profile (This is all in Japanese though, but it includes all of the works he’s been in or done so far)
Hiroki’s Social Media: Ameblo / Twitter / Official Fan Club Site
Wada Takuma:
MyDramaList.info (Again, you will find basically EVERYTHING on here! But you CANNOT ask or post download links, etc. You can see the rules for them here since a friend of mine is on there so she knows the rules.)
Anime on Stage (Actor of the Day)
Wikia - Tenimyu (Mainly Tenimyu related stuff)
Agency Profile (All Japanese again)
Takkun’s Social Media: Ameblo / Official Fan Club Site
So this is some of the English info for both Hiroki and Takkun. But as for any fan-blogs on Tumblr that post translations and things like that, I have not seen a single one. With some of the resources I’ve provided you, you could always try doing a fan-blog yourself if you want to :D
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19 Reasons Buzzfeed Should Employ Sophie Jackson (#13 is questionable)
1. I write every day of my life. Yes, even when I’m not being paid for it.
My whole life is basically just an endless series of things I become passionate about. How do I express these passions? I write about them - at great lengths, and with a lot of enthusiasm.
2. I’m your target market.
To attract a Buzzfeed key demographic, one most think like a Buzzfeed key demographic.
Obviously the appeal of pop culture bulletins and informative listicles is fairly universal. Your typical reader, however, is the Western millennial spending their coffee break glued to a smartphone, and I fit in there quite comfortably.
3. There is not a meme that eludes me.
In most job applications, this wouldn’t really be the kind of quality one boasts about. Spending every spare moment browsing Reddit, Tumblr and Twitter might not be the coolest of hobbies, but it does mean the I see practically every meme that comes into existence - however short-lived, however nonsensical.
And I’m not just talking about viral memes. Those alternative memes one only discovers when browsing the dark corners of Tumblr at 3am? I see them. I know them. I know them all. If anyone’s gonna earn a job at Buzzfeed solely for their meme expertise...
4. I’m extremely flexible.
No - I’m not just talking about my enviable yoga postures. I adapt to new environments like a Victoria Secret model adapts to the latest fad diet. Whether you need me to travel, stay put, work weekends or switch between tasks - it’s all fine by me.
5. I’m as familiar with past pop culture as I am with contemporary pop culture.
From The Bell Jar to The Fault in Our Stars, from Pissaro to Koons, from Blackadder to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - I spend as much time obsessing over past icons as I do over today’s hottest releases. Good pop culture tends to remain relevant, so for every American Idol episode I've seen, I’ve watched just as many Top of the Pops re-runs. Whether you want me to cover David Bowie or Beyonce, I’m just as happy either way.
6. I have live reporting and interviewing experience.
I’ve professionally and confidently conducted interviews with a number of high profile figures including representatives of global charities, industry leaders, social media influencers and world league professional poker players. In the past two years I’ve also gained experience reporting at live sports events watched by thousands.
7. I know a thing or two about SEO.
Just kidding, I know like twenty things about SEO. Whether it’s in relation to social media marketing campaigns or the optimization of home page navigation, this is the field I’ve known from the earliest days of my career.
I could tell you, for example, the most competitive keywords for whatever you’re promoting. I can point you to the latest Google updates and explain what they mean for content strategy and link acquisition. My SEO crush is Rand Fishkin, and I know what Matt Cutt’s dinosaur impression looks like.
8. I’m a meticulous editor and fact-checker.
Living in what is becoming known as a ‘post-truth’ society of misinformation and fake news, impartial and factual journalism is as essential as ever.
Even if written with a light-hearted tone or for entertainment purposes, I believe there’s rarely a publication that is justified in foregoing thorough fact-checks.
As such, it has become second nature for me to cross-reference, double-check, triple-source and provide ample citations for anything I write. In short, I do not take lightly the responsibility that comes with producing content for an internationally respected brand.
9. I’m not one to shy from politics.
And in this current political climate, one doesn’t really have the luxury of staying quiet. I appreciate the importance of delivering criticism and drawing attention to issues in a respectful manner that helps create productive debate and engagement.
With an education in UK politics, US politics, modern political history and Western political theory - I write about political matters with confidence and passion. If there’s one thing Buzzfeed does well (and Buzzfeed does several things well), it’s presenting a light-hearted and accessible examination of complex issues at a time when such media is especially needed.
10. I’m totally comfortable writing in whatever style a piece of content calls for.
My experience in writing has been varied and far-spanning. I believe this to be useful, in that appropriately repurposing content for different platforms while maintaining consistency in tone is now a necessity for any online brand marketing.
My thorough grasp of the English language is one of many reasons I am highly qualified to undertake this task. Whether you want a blog post, informative review, promotional copy, argumentative op-ed or journalistic analysis - I can adapt my editorial style accordingly. One moment I can be writing a political take for The Hill, the next moment I’m focused on comparing Jeff Goldblum to pasta for The Reductress.
11. I’ve spent the last three years writing articles on every subject under the sun.
From beauty guides to morbid crimes to album releases to terrifying advancements of artificial intelligence - there’s not a subject I won’t or can’t write about.
‘Research’ is my middle name. I didn’t always know a lot about Bitcoins, Bill Clinton’s diet or Niagara Falls - but when my job calls for me to research something, I’m going to be an expert by the time I put pen to paper...or fingers to keyboard.
That being said - there are some subjects on which I am especially well-versed, and therefore love writing about the most. These subjects include, but are not limited to, intersectional feminism, contemporary art, modern history, animal welfare, mental health, science fiction, alternative fashion and classic rock.
12. I’m on the lookout.
I have an eye for interesting stories and upcoming trends. My mornings are defined by two activities in particular; 1) drinking coffee with obscene amounts of sugar, and 2) checking the BBC, The Guardian, The Verge, ThinkProgress, Buzzfeed, ATTN:, Vox, The Washington Post and a bunch of other cutting-edge news publications. Not only do I stay-up-to-date, but I know how to translate news into clickable, shareable and relatable content that gets people commenting.
13. I bake the most divine Victoria Sponge cake and would bring it into the office.
“Feast upon my creation, colleagues” is something I would not say because that is weird.
14. I’ve done a fair bit of travelling.
Globetrotting is an interest that has taken me from the coffee shops of Amsterdam and cathedrals of Rome to the forests of Sweden and beaches of California. A global perspective is important when writing for a global platform, and I believe my travel experiences will enrich what I can contribute to Buzzfeed.
15. I’m a quick learner.
There’s no doubt I’ve still got a lot to learn. Fortunately, I pick up most things quickly and have no problem putting aside extra time for studying should I lack any particular experience or know-how when it comes to my career. I would like to improve my GIF making game, Photoshop abilities and a couple of other mostly self-taught skills. Buzzfeed seems like the kind of environment to facilitate that growth and development.
16. I’m a closeted Yankophile.
Yes, I may devour crumpets and Earl Grey tea for breakfast, but deep down there’s a part of me that just wants to live my life like an American hipster in an innocuous coming-of-age comedy. I grew up on a diet of American TV and literature, so writing for an American audience comes as naturally to me as writing for British readers.
17. I pride myself on being a good colleague.
Respect, positivity and open-mindedness - those are the principles I believe underline a healthy work environment.
I perform equally well in a team as I do independently. My management experience has taught me how to recognize and encourage my colleagues’ strongest traits, while giving them a space in which they can feel heard and supported.
18. London is one of my favourite places in the whole world.
Why does that make me an ideal candidate? Well, in a way my love for London is irrelevant - except that my excitement over living in the coolest city on earth will probably manifest itself in the form of a big smile each morning. I’d be over the moon if I could relocate to that rainy hub of art galleries, innovative music scenes, cultural merging, vintage street markets and lush city parks.
19. I aim for excellence.
If there’s a sentence you’ll never hear me say, it’s “that’s not in my job description”. I genuinely enjoy pushing myself and always aim to impress. No matter what project is at hand - I won’t stop until I’ve put my 100% into the job. If I work for you, you can rest assured you have a driven, reliable and problem-solving employee at force.
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What is a bts festa and what should i know about it? I have been gone for 3 weeks and I've missed more than I had hopped.
Hi anon, and welcome back! It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the BTS fandom - Festa is an even that happens every year, it’s a celebration of when BTS became a group (on June 13th, 2013)! BTS always puts out special content around this time for their fans, and fans work on a lot of content to give back!
I’m not gonna lie, you’ve missed a lot BUT honestly - all I’ve been doing since I’ve started following BTS is catching up with BTS so - heh - just look at it as a work in progress and get excited there’s so much to watch because you’ll be able to find links and see everything - it’s not gone for good it’s just waiting for you to find.
But! Also! You haven’t missed everything!
There’s still the BTS HOME PARTY which happens at 8PM KST and will be broadcast on the BTS V Live channel (that’s 6 a.m. for me in Kansas, but will prob. be different for you). Dress code is Pajamas, last year they gave out awards and made cakes and did special stages ?!? If you can watch DO IT!
and then the day after we get Suga, Jin & Jungkook’s version of ‘So Far Away’ which .... honestly I’ve been anticipating so hard I can’t even deal with myself or hardly speak about it or i’ll turn into steam. That’ll probably be released on their Soundcloud page, I would think, but the second after it’s released Links will be everywhere so just log on to tumbls or twitter and you’ll see it (will prob be released at Midnight KST on the 14th (but I’m not sure).
The big news today was that the annual ‘Honey FM’ broadcast was released, BTS does one of these every year, and they are always super funny and cute - the subs (last I checked) are a bit rough - everything’s a bit hard to hear, BTS has a tendency of talking in a big pile, you know? anyways. HERE is a link to that (I still haven’t made it through the whole thing hhhh and I need to go to bed soon to get up at 5 for the home party heh).
Honestly I’m about the worst person you could come to regarding giving you any sort of clear, concise list of what exactly has gone down, so I recommend either checking out BTS DIARY (mute the tab there’s music that plays) and scroll down, there’s a lot of Festa stuff there. On tumblr, I’d check out the Festa 2017 tag at bangtan.tumblr.com (always a good place to catch up!). For the little about profiles and fake resumes that were released, HERE is a link to some translations. You’ll find a link to R&V’s cover of 4 O’Clock on that soundcloud link too or on the Bangtan Blog There’s a Kookie / Jimin cover of ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’ there too that was just released!! WHEW. That’s (almost) it? I’m sure there’s some stuff I’ve missed but BUT it’ll be like a jewel to find
I’m sorry this isn’t a neat concise list - i’ve exhausted my neatness and conciseness for the day, but still wanted to answer you. I also wanted to say I hope you really enjoy your first Festa!! Don’t worry about seeing it all right away treat it like an amusement park and just let the fun come to you! I really hope this has helped!
#anon#i wanted to ad a cute photo but my computer is going to overheat o lord#and if i lose this imma fling everything into the yard#but BUT#< 333#sorry#again#i'm the worst one for concise and clear lists#but here's some places for you to start enjoying some Festa goodness < 333#I hope it makes any sense#HAPPY FESTA ANON FRIEND!#Anonymous#ask fmbl
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