The update no one asked for!
No one asked but yes I am alive! Just stuck in my head.
I have like four drafts of which one is part four of an ask, and I feel bad that it isn't ready yet.... but I am also thinking about maybe starting to post some of my drawings too... but meh we will see!
Anyway this is just a little status update on me to let those that follow me know, that no i have not disappeared from the web. I am just busy with life and work while also trying to work on four different drafts (an Ask, Drake Family Secret, Ghost kid in Gotham, Cassiopea and Orion and actually... i am working on more than just these four.... oh well...) and getting back into drawing...
I also recently learned Akiro Toriyama died and damn I am thankful to this man. He is a legend and without him I wouldn't be who I am today because Dragon Ball was one of the two mayor animes that shaped my childhood and the person I am today as well as inspired the one mangaka to create a manga that lead me to find one of my best friends and without them I wouldn't have dropped into the dpxdc fandom the way I have.
So even if it's late, I just wanted to also say my thanks to Akira Toriyama, for everything he did for us and many others by just inspiring people with his works! And making Manga and Anime popular enough that it swapped over from Asia to all over the world.
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alright, i have come to the decision i am keeping this blog up as an archive and leaving the gt tumblr community for the foreseeable future.
when i made my post about chamomile-g-tea’s damaging treatment of my story, gtms, my goal was to acknowledge the situation so i could hopefully move forward and restore gtms/my blog as mine again, without her influence. and while i anticipated backlash, some of the responses were just...downright disturbing. lots of comments echoed a victim-blaming sentiment that i am responsible for the emotional and creative damage done to me by another person because ‘why didn’t you just say no or tell her to stop?’ not only does this ignore the several attempts i did make to express discomfort and set boundaries—which were not respected—but even if i didn’t manage to express a ‘no’, that doesn’t make what happened ok; it doesn’t erase the year of crippling pressure and guilt i lived with and still struggle to shake daily. realizing that so many people in this community think otherwise is just...disturbing. it’s disturbing. that’s the only word i can think to use.
the response to all this does not make me feel safe being here—that’s what this situation has unfortunately showed me: that the audience i hoped to allow to view my reclaiming process would also contain the same crowd who make me feel so unsafe—and why the fuck would i let those people see something as personal as that? why would i let them see anything? it’s made me understand i can’t continue to heal myself and my writing if i am posting it for other people, especially harmful people. and even though it turned out this way, i’m glad i gave it a shot; that i made that post as an effort to see if it was even possible or worth it to restore this space—even if the answer was no! absolutely fucking not!—because it saved me from even more time spent sharing my work with people who do not respect me as a person or a creator. i’m glad i tried, however much it sucked, because it allowed me to understand: it is not just one person in this community i feel unsafe with, but a solid percentage of the community at large that i just cannot healthily engage with, and no amount of blocking will fix that.
but of course this is not the only situation that showed me this community’s true colors—the dismissive or outright aggressive response to the calling out of racism in our tropes has also been deeply disturbing. to clarify, there is no problem in identifying with and finding comfort or catharsis in problematic tropes such as the pet trope, but there is a problem with using that comfort to make others feel unsafe and speak over people of color. and the solution to this trope problem is very simple—generally apply critical thinking skills to the media you enjoy, and tag your shit properly (dead dove, particularly when the giant owner/abuser doesn’t face consequences and/or if the abused/abuser fall in ‘love’—dead dove is not actually currently used in this community, that’s the problem). but rather than taking this as an opportunity to listen and improve, it was instead used as a chance to lash out at and make clear that poc are not welcome in this community and come secondary to the feelings of white creators and readers.
over the last few years, this community has fostered and been exposed for bigotry such as terfs, ableists, racists, etc, and especially in the current political era, this is no longer a community i want to share my work with or even just lurk in. and i know on the surface this community seems progressive, but take a better look and you’ll find members of the community doing and saying…questionable things, or keeping quiet and enabling their friends who do and say questionable things because they would rather be passive and polite than be genuinely kind and compassionate through active accountability.
of course this is the risk you take interacting with any person ever—but it’s especially taxing to look around at such a small, close knit community you know is riddled with these problems and wonder if the people making innocent posts are actually harmful; if they prioritize their comfort over the safety of marginalized people, if they even see you as a full person, and for me, personally—if they are willing to overlook consent to blame you for your trauma and defend the person who inflicted it. it’s taxing to explain basic basic concepts to strangers over and over in a place that prides itself on being a safe space, where people just have fun and mentally escape from irl hardships. it’s taxing to ride out shitty, hateful treatment when you are just simply one person (voluntarily providing free services btw) with only so much energy and fucks to give. it is not worth the strain it puts on you as a person, nor is it your responsibility to sit there and accept it, and i am not the only creator in this community who feels this way. we are fucking tired.
quite simply, this is not a community i feel comfortable participating in or sharing anything with. and that’s a shame, because there are wonderful, creative and caring people here who i have enjoyed sharing this space with, and maybe someday i’ll give this community another chance, but currently it’s just not worth the time of day. and i want to make it clear: my leaving is not simply because of just one person or just one situation—that i could handle—it is the community itself that is the root problem; that continues to be harmful, in multiple contexts—that is the reason why i and several other creators are leaving for greener pastures and more enjoyable communities—or just simply for a fucking moment’s worth of peace, because lord knows you won’t find it here.
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Duolingo is NOT what it used to be.
“Duolingo is ‘sunsetting the development of the Welsh course’ (and many others)”.
I’ve used Duolingo since 2013. It used to be about genuinely learning languages and preserving endangered ones. It used to have a vibrant community and forum where users were listened to. It used to have volunteers that dedicated countless hours and even years to making the best courses they could while also trying to explain extremely nuanced and complex grammar in simple terms.
In the past two years it feels like Von Ahn let the money talk instead of focusing on the original goal.
No one truly had a humongous problem with the subscription tier for SuperDuolingo. We understood it: if you can afford to pay, help keep Duolingo free for those who couldn’t.
It started when the company went public. Volunteers were leaving courses they created because they warned of differing longterm goals compared to Duolingo’s as a company; not long after it was announced that the incubator (how volunteers were able to make courses in the first place) would be shut down. A year goes by and the forums—the voice of the users and the way people were able to share tips and explanations—is discontinued. A year or two later, Duolingo gets a completely new makeover—the Tree is gone and you don’t control what lesson you start with. With the disappearance of the Tree, all grammar notes and explanations for courses not in the Big 8 (consisting of the courses made before the incubator like Spanish/French/German/etc. and of the most popular courses like Japanese/Korean/Chinese/etc.) are removed with it. Were you learning Vietnamese and have no idea how honorifics work without the grammar notes? Shit outta luck bud. Were you learning Polish and have absolutely no clue how one of the declensions newly thrown at you functions? Suck it up. In a Reddit AMA, Von Ahn claims that the new design resulted in more users utilizing the app/site. How he claims that statistic? By counting how many people log into their Duolingo account, as if an entire app renovation wouldn’t cause an uptick in numbers to even see what the fuck just happened to the courses.
Von Ahn announces next in a Reddit AMA that no more language courses will be added from what there already is available. His reasoning? No one uses the unpopular language courses — along with how Duolingo will now be doing upkeep with the courses already in place. And here I am, currently looking on the Duolingo website how there are 1.8 million active learners for Irish, 284 thousand active learners for Navajo, and even 934 thousand active learners for fucking High Valyrian. But yea, no one uses them. Not like the entire Navajo Nation population is 399k members or anything, or like 1.8 million people isn’t 36% of the entire population of Ireland or anything.
And now this. What happened to the upkeep of current courses? Oh, Von Ahn only meant the popular ones that already have infinite resources. Got it. Duolingo used to be a serious foundational resource for languages with little resources while also adding the relief of gamification.
It pisses me off. It really does. This was not what Duolingo started out as. And yea, maybe I shouldn’t get invested in a dingy little app. But as someone who spent most of her adolescence immersed in language learning to the point where it was literally keeping me alive at one point, to the point where languages felt like my only friend as a tween, and to the point where friendships on the Duolingo forums with likeminded individuals my age and other enthusiasts who even sent me books in other languages for free because they wanted people to learn it, the evolution of Duolingo hits a bitter nerve within me.
~End rant.
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crying screaming begging the lord himself for this-
imagine simon has a wife, he been had a wife, a military so and so who ranks wayyyyy above him -
she visits the base and everyone’s treating her with the utmost respect and formality until she passes simon who js,, casually offers her a cigarette, like ???? as if she’s not super massive important formal person number one ?
i’m here for the shock and awe,, everyone just being so completely caught off guard by them
“wh whahbwhh wh?????!!!!???”
“oh yea that’s my wife btw”
y/n riley
i really liked this idea anon >.< thank you for sending this!!! hope you like this <33
. . .
Simon Ghost Riley, the infamous and elusive member of Task Force 141, had always been a mystery to his team. He was a man of few words, a deadly sniper with a dark past, and someone who could disappear without a trace. But what his team didn't know was that behind the tough exterior, Simon had a soft spot for one special person - his wife, Y/n.
Y/n was a high-ranking military officer, a woman who had worked her way up the ranks with her intelligence, bravery, and unwavering dedication to her country. She and Simon had met during a classified mission, and it was love at first sight. Despite their dangerous jobs and the constant threat of danger, they had managed to build a strong and loving relationship.
But their love was a secret, known only to a select few in the military. So when Y/n decided to surprise Simon by visiting him at the base, the reactions of his teammates were nothing short of comical.
As she walked through the base, every soldier and officer stood at attention, saluting her as she passed by. Even Captain Price, known for his stoic demeanor, couldn't help but gape at the sight of her. But it was Simon's reaction that was the most surprising.
As Y/n approached him, Simon casually took out a cigarette and offered her one. The other soldiers were stunned, their mouths hanging open in disbelief. Did Ghost just offer a cigarette to a high-ranking officer? But Y/n just smiled and took the cigarette, her eyes never leaving Simon's.
The team was in shock as Simon and Y/n walked hand in hand, laughing and talking as if they were the only ones in the base. Even Soap, who had always been the closest to Simon, couldn't believe his eyes.
'Wh-what is going on here?' he stuttered, looking at his teammates for an explanation.
'I have no idea,' replied Konig, equally confused.
But as Simon and Y/n approached them, they all snapped back to attention, saluting Y/n as she stood by Simon's side.
'Boys, this is my wife, Y/n,' Simon said with a proud smile.
The team couldn't believe their ears. Simon Ghost Riley, the man of mystery, had a wife? And not just any wife, but a high-ranking military officer?
Y/n greeted them all with a warm smile, introducing herself and making them feel at ease. As they all sat down to chat, they couldn't help but ask about their relationship.
'How did you guys meet?' asked Soap, still in shock.
Simon and Y/n shared a look before Simon spoke up. 'We met during a mission in Afghanistan. Y/n was part of a team sent to assist us, and let's just say, she caught my eye.'
The team was in awe of their love story, and as they listened to them talk and laugh, they realized that Simon was a completely different person when he was with Y/n. He was happy, carefree, and even cracked a few jokes.
As the day went on, the team got to know Y/n better and realized that she was not just a high-ranking officer but also a kind, down-to-earth person. And as they saw the love and affection between Simon and Y/n, they couldn't help but feel happy for them.
From that day on, Y/n became a regular visitor at the base, and the team welcomed her with open arms. She brought a new light to their lives, and they were grateful to have her as part of their family.
And as for Simon, he had found his true partner in life, someone who understood and accepted him for who he was. He knew that with Y/n by his side, he could face any mission and come back home to her.
Their love story may have started amid chaos, but it had blossomed into a beautiful and unbreakable bond. And for Simon Ghost Riley, there was nothing more valuable than the love of his life, his wife Y/n.
. . .
tags: @ilovehobi101
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