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queenslayerbeeWe've all heard about tumblr right? LOL. If nothing else, I do hope this means more people (especially those I already know and like from there!) consider joining dreamwidth. It'd be a good outcome. And even if they end up reverting the update (I'm not holding my breath) I still want to use this journal more. At the moment I'm crossposting old fics here every two days, so in the meantime, I hope I'll keep the momentum and post other things on days in-between. Today, I thought I'd start with telling you guys about some of the things I've been reading and watching lately (a lot of them last week, because I got sick and I took shameless advantage of that).
GIVE A CHARACTER
and I’ll break their ass down:
- tellshannon815 mentioned "56 Days" by Catherine Ryan Howard in a recent-ish post. A few days later I finished it LOL. As of now I've read three more thrillers by this author ("The Trap", "The Liar's Girl", and "The Nothing Man"). With some nitpicks here and there, I've really enjoyed them, especially the last one. The author is really good at landing twists and her character work is quite good. I really appreciate how... real, I find her female characters, and her voice when she's writing from the POVs of the killers is particularly perturbing in its mundane evilness.
- I also read a few comics. Caught up with Absolute Wonder Woman (it's fine, but at the moment I think my interest has waned, sadly), and I read Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring (with the original comic, I loved #1 and thought the last issue landed really well, even if the middle wasn't as good. With this one, I think what failed to landed properly is the ending, but I really enjoyed the rest) and The Night Eaters, the other comic by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. I definitely recommend that one, it's a very engaging and inspiring read.
- Although these will be long-term projects LOL, I've finally gotten around to start both the Vorkosigan saga and the Earthsea cycle. In the latter case I've only read "The Word of Unbinding" and "The Rule of Names", two sort stories that ~planted seeds for what the larger series would be, but I hope to start the first novel... soon-ish (I own the complete illustrated collection, which is very pretty and all, but not something you can carry around without breaking your back xD, and next week I might have to travel). Meanwhile, I did read "Shards of Honor", and loved it. I found the couple really charming in their absolutely charmless way LOL, and the book did a really good job convincing me that they were the perfect partner for each other and that Cordelia made the right choice when [redacted].
- After my third attempt, I completed the Psych series, films included (minus additional material I have no interest in). It's a really fun romp with lovable characters, and I really appreciate that the lead couple made the choice to be childfree. For now, at least, I don't trust tv writers on this lol. Which is why I wouldn't be at all heartbroken if there were no more movies, tbqh.
- There are many other shows I should've caught up with instead, but alas. Right now, other than the above, I'm only watching the weekly episodes of Grey's Anatomy and The Pitt. I have little to say about the first one (and might stop watching it until the season is over and I have time to catch up), and plenty about the latter LOL, though most of that I've reserved it for conversations with other people on tumblr. The second season hasn't been as good as the first, and unfortunately I think a lot of it is how much Collins's absence is felt: without her, the female characters as a whole feel unmoored, while she connected them all. The show's misogynistic and racist biases pop up more, in ways that can't be attributed to "characters showing flaws." But a lot of it continues to be really engaging, and I am more and more interested in the female characters week after week. I wish I could know everything about them LOL, but I'll be content with the crumbs this format allows!! Santos continues to be my dearest darling, but I'm also really enjoying others like Al-Hashimi or Javadi or García. Or Mohan, though her storyline has left a lot to be desired.
GIVE A CHARACTER
and I’ll break their ass down:
- How I feel about this character
- All the people I ship romantically with this character
- My non-romantic OTP for this character
- My unpopular opinion about this character
- One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-17 08:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-03-17 09:07 am (UTC)One thing I'd taken to in the last few years was adding image descriptions to all of my posts. My original posts, of course, but also whenever I reblogged something with fanart, gifsets, screenshots... etc., I added one in my reblog. Now, that would mean that an artist wouldn't get to see the feedback they get on their creations if they're reblogged from me. And if what I'm describing is in the middle of a reblog chain (for example, a reaction gif someone has put in their reblogs), it's nearly impossible for people to find it in the notes of a post, unless they happen to click on the right "re-post."
It's completely contrary to the culture of the site in a way I don't think previous updates were and a lot of people are rightfully freaking out, yeah LOL. This post explains the consequences really well. The fact that an original poster can't turn off reblogs anymore (not of those re-posts, at least) is likely to be fertile ground for harassment, especially.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-17 11:09 am (UTC)What is Tumblr trying to do exactly? They say they want to encourage conversations but this seems like the opposite.
Unfortunately I can't see that post as it's locked to Tumblr 😔
When I was briefly on Tumblr, I turned off Reblogs on many of my posts because people piled on to argue with me. I found Tumblr a volatile place where I had to be careful what I wrote. That update looks as if it'll make it worse.
The thing I like about Dreamwidth is that we all have our journals, which are like our homes, where people come to visit, or we go out to visit them at their journal. I think having a stable homepage makes conversations easier, there is no rolling newsfeed where people can do drive by insults or pile ons. There is the 'Latest Things' page but whenever I've interacted there with people, it hasn't gone well. I'm not a fan of rolling newsfeeds really, I love Dreamwidth's set up. I think it might be better if Tumblr went more like the Dreamwidth style instead of more like Twitter/whatever.
Anyway, we'll see what happens won't we...😫I feel sorry for the people on Tumblr who love that site.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-17 11:41 am (UTC)It's a pity because there's a lot I enjoy about tumblr, warts and all. It's the place where I've always found it easiest to meet new like-minded people and I've made good friends there. But every new update gets worse and this one seems bound to finally be the last straw for many of us.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-17 02:14 pm (UTC)Oh yes don't let Tumblr turn into Twitter! Nooo!
That is so sad, I hope you and your friends can find a new home somewhere. I read that Pillowfort is good. I found this guide to fandom websites talking about Pillowfort:
https://www.tumblr.com/blaka-smoko/811280858567884800/a-guide-to-fandom-communities-on-the-small-web
no subject
Date: 2026-03-17 07:06 pm (UTC)Thanks for the link! I'll look them up.
Yes ...
Date: 2026-03-17 04:32 pm (UTC)Enshittification is the rule of the day. :(
>>But every new update gets worse and this one seems bound to finally be the last straw for many of us.<<
That has actually been a robust trend in software and platforms all along, and it is prevalent in modern culture overall. In my observation, somewhere around version 2-4 tends to be the best. At that stage, they have fixed most or all of the glitches from the original and the additions include actually useful features. After that, people are just jerking around until they break something.
It's a serious problem. I've seen whole categories of software disappear or have no good versions left, and technology in general is drifting away from what I find usable. Or what can survive my use. Very little new is a genuine improvement. I think the last one that really impressed me was a truly nonstick pancake bowl, and that's got to be at least 10 years back.
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2026-03-17 05:04 pm (UTC)Re: Yes ...
Date: 2026-03-17 05:45 pm (UTC)