#open letter

[baby-dog]

have you jacked off to my blog. will you jack off to my blog. when will you jack off to my blog.

#w #open letter

[csuitebitches]

Personal growth truly isn’t as complicated as some of you make it seem.

If I could write a letter to my 18 year old self…..

“You don’t need to purchase fancy guides or watch hours and hours of YouTube videos. You don’t need to have 13 degrees in psychology in order to understand yourself.

The main reasons why one fails at “levelling up” are quite simple.

Lack of discipline.

Lack of accountability.

Not being able to manage time.

Not being able to say no to things in order to prioritise yourself.

Doing something you know you shouldn’t be doing, and yet, you do it anyway because FOMO.

How do you prevent the above from happening?

You have to be hard on yourself and listen to your rational instinct. When your intellectual side tells you that its best not to engage in a certain thing or not to be lazy about doing something, listen to that side. People always seem to know better but choose the easier path of not doing anything.

It’s your decision whether you want to look back at life and get upset with yourself for not having the willpower to do yourself justice. Or, you look back at yourself and thank your stars that you had the sense to start early.

Even if you don’t end up getting 100% of what you visualised, at least you’ll respect yourself for sticking to your guns and doing what was best for you and your life.

It’s not about ego. It’s not about hustle culture. It’s about ending this cycle of misery and procrastination and constant justification of your mindlessly stupid actions.

It’s time for you to grow up and put in the goddamn effort, because no one else will. You can’t demand the best of the best when you have nothing to bring to the table.

Stop wasting your time with idiots who don’t share the same values as you. Start reading more again. You’re not going to marry that guy you’re with and you know damn well that you’re going to leave him anyway - so just do it already. Stop the vicious cycle of breaking up and getting back.

I’m glad you enrolled in that university, even if you were a little nervous to leave home. It’s going to change you as a person. Absorb those experiences and realise that the world is not black and white.

There’s much to learn from and you’re wasting your time watching brain-dead influencers on YouTube and instagram. Minimise your social media footprint. Go back to doing the things you loved, even if you feel that the whole world mocks you for it. They don’t. Nobody cares.”

#c suite #powerful woman #ceo aesthetic #personal growth #that girl #productivity #strong women #getting your life together #feminine energy #balance #letter to myself #open letter #younger self #advice

[squorttle-pox]

A message from an AO3 author to fanfiction readers:

If you leave a comment on my work, then I love you.

If you go through my account leaving comments on all my works and every chapter that I update, then I love you.

You will never be annoying. You will never be the exception. I will never not love someone appreciating my work.

If you leave kudos, then I love you.

If you just read my fic, and don't interact, then I love you.

If you scroll past my works and never read them, then I STILL love you.

We are a community, we love each other.

Let's stop forgetting that.

#And if you bookmark something I write #then I love love love adore you #And please don't be worried about a silly note you add to your bookmark #I will laugh #I will not go “oh damn this person is crazy ewww” #or whatever else reaction you may worry about #there is no wrong way to appreciate art and creation #there is no wrong way to love #from the bottom of my heart and to quell your reader fears (because we all have them): #Thank you and I love you #ao3 #fanfic #fanfiction #open letter #fandom #author #writing

[ifwebefriends]

I first started reading Dracula Daily about a week or two into May 2022 because everyone and their mom on tumblr were talking about it. Breaking the novel into smaller bite-sized pieces occurring in real time really helped me to digest it better and helped me to get a better idea of how the story was actually paced out. I got caught up on a few entries and kept up with it until around late September/early October when a lot was happening in my life and I couldn’t keep up.

I tried again this year and I also listened to the Re: Dracula podcast which helped me a lot since I’m a visual-auditory learner and I’m not the best at reading. I listened to every entry and usually read the corresponding email at the same time. The podcast was also helpful since I knew about how long it would take to get through each entry so I could plan my time around it. I had a much easier time this year reading the novel. I’m proud to say that this time around, I saw it all the way through to the end.

I’ve had a lot of fun reading and listening to Dracula, telling my loved ones about it, and talking about it with everyone here online! I’ve loved the art, memes, and discussions we all had around this old classic book. The book is so unique and compelling and it doesn’t get as much appreciation and respect as it should.

Thank you so much to Matt Kirkland and the @re-dracula team for providing such a wonderful, immersive, and well-made experience and bringing together a bunch of nerds online. I don’t think I would have ever read this book without you. And thank you to all the other readers and listeners who helped make the journey as much fun as it was. We laughed, cried, cheered, and talked together and I’m so glad that I was a part of it all. I’m sad that it’s over but I’m happy that it happened at all.

#it’s been a long time coming #Dracula daily #re dracula #re: dracula #Dracula #matt kirkland #November 7 #open letter #regarding dracula #dd 2023 #dracula daily 2023 #2023 #bram stoker #bram stoker’s dracula #200 notes

[keepingupwithzaynmalik]

Zayn signed an open letter calling on AI developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to cease the use of AI to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.

#zayn malik #open letter

[goldsasa]

Dear Sirs!

(or have some ladies also signed?)

A few days ago, you, Mr Musk, together with Mr Wozniak, Mr Mostaque and other signatories, published an open letter demanding a compulsory pause of at least six months for the development of the most powerful AI models worldwide.

This is the only way to ensure that the AI models contribute to the welfare of all humanity, you claim. As a small part of the whole of humanity, I would like to thank you very much for wanting to protect me. How kind! 🙏🏻

Allow me to make a few comments and ask a few questions in this context:

My first question that immediately came to mind:

Where was your open letter when research for the purpose of warfare started and weapon systems based on AI were developed, leading to unpredictable and uncontrollable conflicts?

AI-based threats have already been used in wars for some time, e.g. in the Ukraine war and Turkey. Speaking of the US, they are upgrading their MQ-9 combat drones with AI and have already used them to kill in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The victims of these attacks - don't they count as humanity threatened by AI?

I am confused! Please explain to me, when did the (general) welfare of humanity exist, which is now threatened and needs to be protected by you? I mean the good of humanity - outside your "super rich white old nerds Silicon Valley" filter bubble? And I have one more question:

Where was your open letter when Facebook's algorithms led to the spread of hate speech and misinformation about the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar?

Didn't the right to human welfare also apply to this population group? Why do you continue to remain silent on the inaction and non-transparent algorithms of Meta and Mr Zuckerberg? Why do you continue to allow hatred and agitation in the social media, which (at least initially) belonged to you without exception?

My further doubt relates to your person and your biography itself, dear Mr Musk.

You, known as a wealthy man with Asperger's syndrome and a penchant for interplanetary affairs, have commendably repeatedly expressed concern about the potentially destructive effects of AI robots in the past. I thank you for trying to save me from such a future. It really is a horrible idea!

And yet, Mr Musk, you yourself were not considered one of the great AI developers of Silicon Valley for a long time.

Your commitment to the field of artificial intelligence was initially rather poor. Your Tesla Autopilot is a remarkable AI software, but it was developed for a rather niche market.

I assume that you, Mr Musk, wanted to change that when you bought 73.5 million of Twitter's shares for almost $2.9 billion in April?

After all, to be able to play along with the AI development of the giants, you lacked one thing above all: access to a broad-based AI that is not limited to specific applications, as well as a comprehensive data set.

The way to access such a dataset was to own a large social network that collects information about the consumption patterns, leisure activities and communication patterns of its users, including their social interactions and political preferences.

Such collections about the behaviour of the rest of humanity are popular in your circles, aren't they?

By buying Twitter stock, you can give your undoubtedly fine AI professionals access to a valuable treasure trove of data and establish yourself as one of Silicon Valley's leading AI players.

Congratulations on your stock purchase and I hope my data is in good hands with you.

Speaking of your professionals, I'm interested to know why your employees have to work so hard when you are so concerned about the well-being of people?

I'm also surprised that after the pandemic your staff were no longer allowed to work in their home offices. Is working at home also detrimental to the well-being of humanity?

In the meantime, you have taken the Twitter platform off the stock market.

It was never about money for you, right? No, you're not like that. I believe you!

But maybe it was about data? These are often referred to as the "oil of our time". The data of a social network is like the ticket to be one of the most important AI developers in the AI market of the future.

At this point, I would like to thank you for releasing parts of Twitter's code for algorithmic timeline control as open source. Thanks to this transparency, I now also know that the Twitter algorithm has a preference for your Elon Musk posts. What an enrichment of my knowledge horizon!

And now, barely a year later, this is happening: OpenAi, a hitherto comparatively small company in which you have only been active as a donor and advisor since your exit in 2018, not only has enormous sources of money, but also the AI gamechanger par excellence - Chat GPT. And virtually overnight becomes one of the most important players in the race for the digital future. It was rumoured that your exit at the time was with the intention that they would take over the business? Is that true at all?

After all I have said, I am sure you understand why I have these questions for you, don't you?

I would like to know what a successful future looks like in your opinion? I'm afraid I'm not one of those people who can afford a $100,000 ticket to join you in colonising Mars. I will probably stay on Earth.

So far I have heard little, actually nothing, about your investments in climate projects and the preservation of the Earth.

That is why I ask you, as an advocate of all humanity, to work for the preservation of the Earth - with all the means at your disposal, that would certainly help.

If you don't want to do that, I would very much appreciate it if you would simply stop worrying about us, the rest of humanity. Perhaps we can manage to protect the world from marauding robots and a powerful artificial intelligence without you, your ambitions and your friends?

I have always been interested in people. That's why I studied social sciences and why today I ask people what they long for. Maybe I'm naive, but I think it's a good idea to ask the people themselves what they want before advocating for them.

The rest of the world - that is, the 99,9 percent - who are not billionaires like you, also have visions!

With the respect you deserve,

Susanne Gold

(just one of the remaining 99% percent whose welfare you care about).

#elon musk #open letter #artificial intelligence #chatgpt #science #society #democracy #climate breakdown #space #planet earth #siliconvalley #genocide #war and peace #ai algorithms

[euroquision]

Big Ol' Eurovision UPDATE!

Oh hi lovely people of tumblr. Sorry the updates haven't been as consistent here as they have been on things like my instagram and TikTok. There's been a LOT of work and effort being done and there's some very exciting/promising developments to share!

First off, I wrote an open letter called the "Artists' Statement to the EBU" which is available for any and all Eurovosion/National Final artists to read and sign if they so choose. It asks the EBU to take action and remove Israel from the 2024 contest. AND! It already has a signature!

France's 2023 representative La Zarra has already gotten in touch with me and signed the letter. You can read the letter for yourself and La Zarra's comments HERE. There are already a handful of other artists who I've connected with that would want to sign the letter, so things are incredibly hopeful!

If you want to help spread the word, please consider reaching out to or commenting at your favorite ESC artists across social media and let them know this letter exists and they won't be alone in sharing their voice. Thank you to everyone who has already done so much to support this effort and spread the word <33333

#free palestine #free gaza #eurovision #esc #eurovision song contest #france #la zarra #evidemment #open letter #ban israel from esc #united by genocide

[p-redux]

Weekly Summary October 20, 2023

Hi peeps, lots of stuff happened this week, so I'm going to do my weekly summary instead of individual posts or answering individual Asks. This is a LONG one, so grab a drink, and dive right in for: Ringgate, Sam and the City, and Sam and open letter and follow up statement. Also, starting tomorrow, I'll be off for the weekend, my man surprised me with a trip away to the beach before the weather starts to cool down.

Anyhooo, let's start off with something light. #ringgate. For different reasons some fans get verklempt when Sam wears jewelry, and panties definitely get twisted or wet, depending on who you are, when Sam dons RINGS. Sam wore the 2 rings he's been wearing lately during his appearance on Jimmy Fallon a few days ago. Sidenote: Samshine is EXTRA Samshiny is in this pic. Say what you want about him, but the man is BEAUTIFUL 👇

So, of course, Extreme Shippers are convinced Sam is "finally" wearing his wedding rings because he's married to Cait. Um, one small problem, Caitriona Mary Balfe is already married to Tony McGill. Some Non-Shippers get excited to see him wear rings because maybe it makes them think of when Sam WILL get married. There is something about a man wearing rings. I find it sexy as well. But, alas, these rings are on the right hand and Scottish people wear wedding rings on the left hand. Also, Sam's definitely NOT married to anyone since we've seen him linked to several women lately.

For the people who had doubts the copper looking ring is an Oura ring, it definitely is. Here is what the two rings most likely are. The silver one I'm told by some of the Team is 👇

And here is the Oura ring he's wearing, most likely in Rose Gold. It's basically a ring with a computer in it to keep track of physical stuff, the way a fitbit or Apple watch does. Seems EXACTLY like something Sam would wear 👇 So, let's put #ringgate to rest now, please.

On to WHERE in New York had Sam been hiding. Everyone thought he had left and that his recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon had been taped earlier, until we saw THIS fan pic with him. 👇

My New York sources said he had not been seen at his usual hotel The Crosby. I'm putting out the name now just because EVERYONE knows that's where he stays in New York. He used to stay at The Bowery Hotel, but the last few years it's been The Crosby. None of the usual pic and autograph hounds got pics with him, so we assumed he wasn't staying there. All those hounds have contacts at the different hotels and restaurants frequented by celebs, so they would have been alerted to Sam staying there. Soooooo, if he wasn't at The Crosby, BUT he was in New York, THEN the possibilities are. He's aware too many fans know he stays at The Crosby, so he's switched hotels. Or he decided to rent an Airbnb instead. Or he stayed with friends. Or he does have a lady friend in New York, like some think, and he stayed with her. Who knows...but I'm sure we will find out...

Onto more serious matters. I'll preface this by saying I have made it a policy on my blog to NOT talk about anything political and to also not talk about any world events happening, which are upsetting. This blog is my escape from real life. So, I want to continue on that path. But I'm making an exception this time because based on the DMs an Anon Asks I'm getting there is some confusion as to why Sam posted this message on his social media. I just want to give people some clarity on it. And them move on. So, Sam posted this. 👇

It was in response to Sam and other mostly UK celebrities signing an open letter asking Israel to cease fire on Gaza, and explicitly claiming Pro-Palestine sentiments. If you click below, you will find an article on it and then keep scrolling down and you can read the actual letter. That's the letter Sam signed. A few days later, he clarified his feelings and regretted signing it because it doesn't represent fully what he meant. 👇

Here's the thing the history of Israel/Palestine is LONG and COMPLICATED. And most people haven't done enough research to know it fully. Most people go by sound bytes they see as they scroll social media. Or they give in to confirmation bias based on their political party, nationality, ethnicity, religion, affiliations etc.

I'm not going to get into the specifics because all of the information is easily accessible if anyone TAKES THE TIME TO RESEARCH AND READ THE HISTORY, both of Israel and Palestine...with an OPEN MIND.

The reason Sam got himself in trouble with signing the open letter and then the subsequent damage control message is that he didn't take the time to do his research. In extremely simplistic terms: Most of the UK, and in fact, most of Europe has traditionally been Pro-Palestine (except for European Jews, of course). The U.S. has traditionally been Pro-Israel and are allies. Up until recently that is. Due to the divisiveness in the US since the Trump era, Conservatives (Republicans) in the country became even more Pro-Israel, which then meant Liberals (Democrats) had to be the opposite. The rhetoric that Israel was the oppressor and Palestine was the oppressed grew louder. You had to pick one or the other. You couldn't take a step back and look at the history of the Jews being oppressed pretty much since Moses kept trying to get back to The Promised Land aka modern day Israel and Palestine. Or the Palestinians also being oppressed and their lands shrinking year by year.

The Jews have always been fucked over throughout history. And the Palestinians have always been fucked over, but especially since 1948 when modern day Israel was created. So, then, TERROR GROUP, Hamas decides, we're gonna fuck you over, Israel, REALLY BADLY, and engaged in some of the worst atrocities in recent times. No matter what anyone's beliefs are, when you saw what Hamas did (I'm not going to write the details because it's a horror show we all already know about) EVERYONE in the world should have said "Not today, Satan, not today," and DENOUNCED their savagery.

Hamas is NOT the Palestinian people, Hamas' ONLY goal is to terrorize and destroy. First the Jews, then their allies. Look up in the sky if you're in the US, one day a missile will be coming your way if they aren't stopped. After Hamas committed their savagery, Israel, understandably attacked back. They defended themselves from TERRORISTS trying to literally annihilate them. That was NOT the time to chant Free Palestine or write Free Palestine open letters. Just like after the murder of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement came to the forefront in the US, but you had people countering "All Lives Matter!" Yes, all lives matter, but RIGHT NOW we're focusing on Black Lives, ya dopes. Breast Cancer awareness month. But what about Lung Cancer, Colon Cancer, they're important too?! Yes, but JFC, FOCUS people. Should Palestine be free from Israeli occupation, should they have more land? OF COURSE. But when the world SAW what Hamas did to HUMAN BEINGS, regardless of nationality or religion, the ONLY thing that should have been chanted is "DESTROY HAMAS." Hamas fucked things up for Palestinians, not just Israelis. And because of Hamas' actions, now Palestine is getting destroyed by Israel. And then Hamas will counter attack. And it will go on and on. There should be NO sides. There should only be ONE side, the HUMAN side.

So, when celebs seemingly "pick" a side, especially without considering the repercussions, they will get pushback. I love Sam and he's a good man, but he missed the mark on this one. Not through malice, but rather, naivete and ignorance. By cosigning that letter he didn't realize he wasn't simply signing a Pro-Palestine letter, he was simultaneously signing an Anti-Israel letter, Anti-Jews letter. And the reality is he alienated his Jewish fans, his more US conservative fans, his more centrist fans, assorted other fans...and I'm just going to state facts...he forgot WHO runs Hollywood, has always run Hollywood, and will always run Hollywood, including people who run Starz, as well as WHO are some of his agents, and publicists, hence the "better late than never" damage control quasi apology.

If you're wondering about MY stance: I feel badly for the Palestinian people and I feel badly for the Israeli people. There, that wasn't so hard to say, right? You CAN be Pro-Palestine AND Pro-Israel aka Pro-Humans. In the end, ALL HUMANS want the SAME basic things: food, clean water, shelter, safety and peace for their loved ones. To pick sides is to say that one set of people is more important than the other. And that can't be true. It isn't true. I pick the Human Side. Simple as that.

*big long sigh* Okay, peeps, you can leave comments, but I'm not going to answer them because I'm TIRED now. Also any hate comments, antiSemitic or antiPalestineMuslim comments and they will be deleted, and you will be blocked.

I'll check in later today. And then I'll be off until Sunday evening. Of course, still feel free to DM me and send Asks. I'll answer when I can.

Peace, people, PEACE.

#samheughan #sam heughan #palestine #israel #open letter #uk #us #ringgate #ring gate #newyork #new york #Sam and the City #oura ring

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

47 Northwestern faculty

October 27, 2023

This letter is in response to the “Open letter on NU leaders’ responses to war in Palestine and Israel” published in the Oct.16 edition of The Daily.

The Oct.16 letter gave the impression that the reasons civilians were killed by Hamas and by the Israel Defense Forces were the same, but whereas Hamas murdered civilians intentionally, the IDF were defending their citizens and homeland. The original 1988 Hamas charter (Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement) and guidelines to mosque preachers from the Palestinian Authority last week — according to Palestinian Media Watch and Jihad Watch — specifically state that Hamas’ mission is the annihilation of Jews and the complete destruction of Israel and the establishment of a theocratic state based on Islamic law. While Hamas amended its charter in 2017 to remove explicit mention of annihilation of Jews, we believe that mission is still intrinsic to their movement.

In 2005, Israel withdrew all soldiers and civilians from Gaza to reduce friction and enhance security. Two years later, Hamas violently overthrew the Palestinian Authority and took over the territory. Since then, terrorists have fired over tens of thousands of rockets indiscriminately at Israeli civilians, according to the Associated Press. This has led to multiple wars, and both Israel and Egypt needed to maintain a blockade to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza.

On Oct. 7 Hamas members intentionally slaughtered and eviscerated civilian men, women and children — as their 1988 charter and directives to preachers demand — and they raped women, according to the IDF. In the Oct. 16 open letter, the authors say the number of rockets Israel dropped in the first week of the war exceeded how many rockets terrorists had dropped, as if it was disproportionate. Based on a rule of proportionality, which is irrelevant in war, the IDF would be justified in committing as many horrific acts against Gazans as Hamas has against Israeli citizens. This is absurd.

The IDF has said it does everything possible to avoid killing Palestinian civilians, such as forewarning civilians to move out of a particular area by dropping leaflets, putting messages on social media and making phone calls. Yet, a significant number of Palestinian civilians are still killed. Why? The Washington Post has reported Hamas hides and fires its munitions in civilian areas, including hospitals, schools and homes, and uses civilians as human shields. Because of this, the IDF has diverted missiles. The IDF has also said Hamas is responsible for blocking civilians from traveling south to what the IDF said would be a safe zone.

The open letter’s depiction of “the blockade and humanitarian stranglehold on the Gaza strip since 2007” by Israel ignores the IDF’s assertion that a blockade is necessary to prevent terrorists from entering, which occurred prior to the blockade. The blockade is a way for Israel to protect its citizens from harm.

Gaza gets hundreds of millions of dollars each year for humanitarian purposes, but much of this money does not reach the civilian population, the Wall Street Journal reported. Hamas uses it for military purposes, which contributes to poverty among civilians. Hamas was named the third richest terror group in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2018. International aid “was designed to be humanitarian in nature, but money is fungible, and that also allows Hamas to divert money from providing for its people to support the war machine,” Alex Zerden, a former senior U.S. Treasury national security official, said in the Wall Street Journal. If Hamas had used this money to build infrastructure and support businesses, Gaza would be in a much better position.

Although we grieve for the loss of all innocent lives, the loss of life is on the bloodied hands of Hamas. There are not two sides to barbaric behavior. Hamas is displaying unimaginable evil that is unacceptable in any civilized society, and there is no justification for pure evil.

Richard B. Silverman, Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and Pharmacology Morton O. Schapiro, President Emeritus, Northwestern University Henry Bienen, President Emeritus, Northwestern University David N. Seidman, Department of Materials Science and Engineering James A Sauls, Department of Physics and Astronomy Philip Greenland, Department of Preventive Medicine Harris Perlman, Department of Medicine Raymond Glassenberg MD Department of Anesthesiology Jonathan B Ida, Department of Otolaryngology Richard J. Miller, Department of Pharmacology Michael R. Wasielewski, Department of Chemistry Rose Shoshanah Seidman, Selector and Cataloguer J. Samuel Tenenbaum, Pritzker School of Law Thomas Meade, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences Brian M. Hoffman, Department of Chemistry Lewis J. Smith, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Tobin J. Marks, Department of Chemistry Tamar Seideman, Department of Chemistry Ben Z. Katz, Department of Pediatrics Oren Lakser, Department of Pediatrics Mercouri G Kanatzidis, Department of Chemistry Julio M. Ottino, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering George C. Schatz, Department of Chemistry Lee P. Shulman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology P. Hande Ozdinler, Department of Neurology Neil J. Stone, Department of Cardiology Kenneth Poeppelmeier, Department of Chemistry Chad A. Mirkin, Department of Chemistry Joseph L. Schofer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Joel Shalowitz, Department of Preventive Medicine Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern, Department of History William Klein, Department of Neurobiology Milan Mrksich, Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering Gary Saul Morson, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures Mark C. Hersam, Department of Materials Science and Engineering Elie Rekhess, Visiting Professor, Department of History Samuel I. Stupp, Department of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering William P. Halperin, Department of Physics and Astronomy Efraim Benmelech, Kellogg School of Management Joel Mokyr, Department of Economics and History Igor Jerome Koralnik, Department of Neurology Eddie Dekel, Department of Economics Martin Eichenbaum, Department of Economics William A. Muller, Department of Pathology Lauren S. Wakschlag, Department of Medical Social Sciences Irwin Benuck, Department of Pediatrics Benayahu Elbaz-Eilon, Department of Neurology

#northwestern university #open letter

[thekidsare-not-alright]

pete I just want you to know that we actually do love mania. Idk maybe there are other reasons you're not playing it and that's fine but like PETER. WE. LOVE. MANIA. please

#fall out boy #fob #pete wentz #open letter #I don't fault patrick either tonight cause he's sick idk maybe that song was hard last night #If joe andy or patrick are on here this is at you too mk. MK? #no pressure for joe either btw ik youve got feelings about it er whatever <3 #Just one time tho maybe ? #Mania

[shadowmaat]

Open Letter

Dear @photomatt,

I am depressed. I'm discouraged. I am exhausted and burned out and so dang tired all the time. And you really aren't helping.

Look, I know tumblr is deeply in the hole and needs to make money. I know the upcoming Crabageddon isn't going to help as much as people hope it will. But watching tumblr cannibalize itself as it tries so hard to produce a blank, homogenized experience with a blank, homogenized interface just makes me want to cry.

Tumblr has been a refuge for me since 2011. It has changed a lot over the years (like, a LOT), but one thing it has always been- and one thing that has kept me coming back- is how unique it is. Sure, some things are clunky and if you kick the tires too hard they might fall off; or shower you with tubby custard; or start blasting Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley, but it was still a fun hellsite (affectionate) and I was glad to call it home.

These changes you're making? The ones you claim are necessary for the future of the site? You're killing everything that makes tumblr a fun and unique experience. You may be making it "easier" for everyone else to use (¹citation needed), but at the cost of the comfort of the long-time userbase. We are here because we like tumblr. Not tiktok, not twitter, but tumblr.

I know tumblrites have traditionally screamed about every little change since the site was founded, but there's a difference between making cosmetic tweaks and trying to change the fundamental nature of the site.

This isn't about a misplaced concern regarding the reverse-chrono feed, it's about having to manually go in and turn off "tumblr live" every seven days or risk seeing random tits at the top of my screen with every refresh. It's about making the dash look like twitter. It's about disregarding folks who've expressed issues with the lack of accessibility features. And trying to force sign-ups in order to view posts. It's about taking away a safe space and turning a hellsite (affectionate) into a hellsite (despairing).

You knew tumblr was a money pit when you bought it. The site has a reputation for being a money pit that sucks in investors and spits them out again poorer than they were. Now you're using that debt as an excuse to make sweeping changes without caring about feedback from the folks who actually use the site.

So many people have articulated the problems better than I could. People who know about social media and web infrastructure and all the other elements that go into managing a site like this- and the people that come along with it. They've pointed out the flaws, the misinformation, the corporate doublespeak. Some have even suggested alternatives that would maintain the integrity of what tumblr is while still offering a chance to make up the debt. But I get the sense that no one in the upper echelons is listening. That no one cares.

A few weeks ago I was sure we'd be able to outlast you and survive, but now I'm wondering if you're going to pull an Elon and make this place so uninhabitable (at least to long-term users) that we'll feel forced out. And that breaks my heart. I've been here for so long. I don't want to leave. But if you keep pressing forward with your efforts to make tumblr into metatwit-tok, I'll leave. And I'm sure I won't be the only one.

But I guess if all you care about is money then it doesn't matter; we'll be easily replaced by kids and influencers who want everything to be the same everywhere they go.

May your choices reap the dividends you deserve.

shadowmaat

#open letter

[redlippedandfearless]

DEAR SWIFTIES,

Since before Debut I’ve been a fan of Taylor before “swifties” even existed. I fought all the haters proudly waving my Taylor Swift is a goddess flag loudly for 17 years. Today because of a small subset taking over our once sacred fandom I’m ASHAMED to call myself a swiftie. I do not stand for this disgusting classless mean girl behaviour. I do not stand for the threatening and bullying twds other fans I see daily online. I don’t stand for the bullying and control youre attempting to exert over a poet who gives us art that changed all of our lives. She is an artist she owes us nothing we should be grateful that we’re even alive at the same time as her. She should not have “the happiest she’s ever been” taken away from her because a terrifyingly obsessive subset thinks they know her and thinks they can decide who she loves!! Ffs we let fake swifties bully her into the devastation we’re seeing in her face on stage. WHAT HAPPENED TO PROTECT HER AT ALL COSTS?!? This fandom has broken apart, her real fans are leaving because of the bullying, this used to be a real caring kind fun community. A group of us are going to start self regulating this fandom because these bullying threatening asshats do NOT SPEAK FOR ME and I’m an OG swiftie. Taylor deserves happiness and we deserve nothing from her but the art she chooses to share with us. If we don’t make this right she’s likely going to retire please help us to Stop the bullys🙅‍♀️ No fake fans!🚫 THESE ARE REAL PEOPLES LIVES YOURE HURTING & INTERFERING IN

~THE OG SWIFTIES / real swifties who will always protect her at all costs. It’s literally the least we can do.

For those saying I’m a racist now😂 I’m not even white😭 lmfao.. also shut up sit tf down or leave we don’t want you here. You want to viciously bully her try bullying us first. She’s been clear to STAY OUT OF HER RELATIONSHIPS. She isn’t a character, she’s not your doll she’s a fucking human being who deserves respect, nor will we tolerate you threatening and abusing her real fans. We know some of these accounts are bots and the ppl who are feeding off the bots are causing the destruction whoever paid for them wanted which in my guess is to hurt Taylor. This needs to end.

#taylor swift #swifties #taylornation #the eras tour #taylurking #anti bullying #matty healy #swiftie #open letter #dear reader

[xadnem]

@staff, your supposed attempts to make the site more accessible to new users are reducing the user experience for everyone. The new media viewer is terrible*, I keep getting auto-playing audio ads in the background of the app with no video associated with them, and I still don't have a way to opt-out of tumblr Live.

Also, attempting to italicize a single word ("still") will italicize the whole post after three or four seconds.

I understand that making the site more profitable is necessary to maintain it. I don't think this is a worthwhile way of doing that.

*no pause button, swiping up takes you to an unrelated post, the media is sized wrong for device screens leading to content being cut off at the edges, the blurred repitition of the image in the background is unpleasant to look at compared to the negative space of the previous viewer, etc.

#open letter

[x-heesy]

Ich erbitte erneut und energisch um Prüfung meiner Blog Einstellung eurerseits! Das grenzt alles sehr an mobbing!! Ich bin seit 2011 ein treuer User und habe dieses diskriminierende Verhalten eurerseits nicht verdient! Danke!? Alex

I once again strongly request that you check my blog setting! This all borders on bullying!! I have been a loyal user since 2011 and I don't deserve this discriminatory behavior on your part! Thanks!? Alex

@staff

𝙶𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚊 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚢 🎧

#tumblr support #tumblr staff #bullying #mobbing #x-heesy #personal #open letter #4/2024

[thesylverlining]

I feel like all I say to like 98% of my friends lately (as in, the past couple years, but especially winter, and ESPECIALLY Fucking January) is "I'm sorry for going silent/being so dead/distant/dropping our conversations even the ones I started and never coming back, I promise I still love you I just can't scrape the words out of my tired aching brainmeat"

...And here it is again

So as something of a blanket edict, i rally every remaining word in my slugbrains and offer, if we are friends and i have recently (or in the past couple years, Fucking January or not) done this disappearing act again:

I am sorry for being so dead

I have not forgotten you

If we were in the same room I probably would still not have many words but I would roll over until I could stick my face on your shoulder or drape myself over you like an exhausted worm and make tired but fond noises

It is Fucking January and all my limbs feel like solid lead and my head is full of cotton balls and not in the comfortable way

Hopefully I will be a person in the near future

And that person will still want to be your friend, should you have them

Until then, I earnestly need to lie down and be a woolybear caterpillar again, curling into a ball and waiting for my brain to return from war

(should anyone reading this be in a similar position, you may use this open letter, and I wish us both a swift recovery and increased serotonin, preferably Soon)

#psa #open letter #january is THE WORST month we have evolved beyond the need for Fucking January #these are all the words i have in my head now i have used them all up for the rest of the month at least #i do know how to speak and type i promise #winter just makes me forget #nonverbal

[wntrcold]

This is a love letter turned open letter because I couldn’t find it in me to send it.

Hey love,

It feels like years.

You sharing my life, me sharing yours.

Girl, even the bad times we can look upon and say, “Hey… we’ve lived”.

The good doesn’t mean much if there isn’t any bad. It’s honestly my fault for not properly being able to understand that.

For quite a while I would stand in the mirror, see my reflection and not understand why I didn’t feel like myself. A part of me felt like it was missing but I couldn’t see it.

I was only half of our beautiful love interlude. It’s a good thing that I’m only half my dear, because if I was already whole then I wouldn’t need you here.

Sincerely, me

#open letter #thoughts #love #words #poem #romance #relationship #writing