I don't wanna @ anyone because I understand how fast things seem to move in today's landscape of streaming shows dropping entire seasons in one day, and networks pumping out new series constantly to try to attract more subscribers with no intent to actually maintain those shows over time but I just saw someone self-deprecatingly lament that they are still thinking about a show that ended almost a year ago, making fan art and playlists for it, and I want to be very clear:

you can still create fanworks when it comes to old media!! PLEASE do!! there are always going to be new fans who will appreciate it, and veteran fans who are dying for new content and new perspectives. also, less than a year is NOTHING. the original Star Trek series was on TV six decades ago and there are still people losing their minds over it, writing stories and reblogging gifsets daily, and that's only one example.

a fandom lasts as long as there are people who love a thing, even if it's only a handful of people. love what you love and write and draw and make gifs and playlists about it!

Also this is not true. You do in fact have the copyright to the specific writing you did in a fic, because that's not how copyright law works. Like this is not a grey area.

People who write IP content for corporations give up their copyright on a contractual basis--the company wants writing they can sell about characters/settings they own without getting entangled in royalty obligations etc, so they hire people. Who sign contracts saying they don't own what they write as part of that job.

That's why you don't own Star Wars stuff you wrote for Disney; you specifically agreed not to own it.

Writing for IP you don't own leaves you in a position where you can't legally monetize it (without taking out the Owned parts ad rebranding), but it absolutely does not automatically cede or void copyright. That is super not a thing.

SUPER not a thing, I cannot say this enough.

I can't sell my Batman fic, but neither can DC Comics without my duly authorized consent. Because they own Batman, but not the prose I composed about him.

Do not perform that kind of massive corporate overreach for them. Holy shit. Do they not own enough.

It’s fascinating that this misconception of copyright still exists. Haven’t we all seen the posts on here where authors beg fans to please not send them fanfic of their works? They’re not doing that because they feel like it, they do that because fans legally own their words and ideas, and an author who takes them even unintentionally can in fact end up in real legal trouble for taking something that’s not theirs. It doesn’t matter whether they own the canon.

This.

Copyright is the most basic of protections for all writers. If there’s anything professional/career writers want spread around, it’s the knowledge that all writers have the same protections that copyright confers on us.

Astonishing indeed that anon would attempt to upbraid somebody on copyright issues when, themselves, they understand them so poorly.

The idea that because you don’t own Batman, your Batman fanfic is public domain is one the DC-Warner Bros’ lawyers would take exception to as well. They know they don’t own the fanfic, but they own the hell out of Batman. Public domain? Not hardly!

Tumblr interaction and entitlement

Recently, I didn’t reply to someone who had messaged me on Tumblr and this person reacted by blocking me, so that when I found time to answer the message, I had typed up my reply, and, obviously, couldn’t send it. I thought, well, that’s kind of a petty response to someone not answering right away (never mind that it would be sometimes days or weeks before I answer people’s messages on other forums, and they would be cool with it). I thought about this, and I thought about mentioning it, and the reason I’ve decided to talk about it is because it goes back to perceptions about interaction with others that we all need to be mindful of.

If someone sends me a message that I don’t answer right away or don’t answer at all it’s because:

But, what all this really comes down to is this: no one is entitled to my attention. Message me by all means, but no one has an automatic right to my time or my emotional reassurance, even if I’ve provided it before. I’m a nice person: I like to talk to people and be reassuring and positive, but I am not a bottomless well of understanding and reassurance. I’m someone who needs time to process my own feelings and replenish my own stock of positivity, particularly when I’m upset about something. We are all entitled to make ourselves available to anyone or no one as we see fit.

So, anyone who feels like they’re entitled to my time or yours, and who gets petty or upset when they don’t get it, is not someone I or you need in our lives anyway. Respect yourself and your emotions and your time, and forget about anyone who can’t accept that.

Covid-19 is not over. We are not "post-covid." If you mean "post-lockdown," say "post-lockdown."

Hi, before you contemplate saying, “social distancing/lockdown/isolation/quarantine is a privilege,” remember that disabled people still exist.

I understand the sentiment, that people who were working and were struggling financially have to make a choice, and some of them are working essential (often underpaid) jobs in a time of crisis. I get the frustration there. I see that there’s a discussion that needs to be had...

But I’ve been socially isolated and pretty much homebound with minimal ability to leave for over a year because of an ongoing, undiagnosed chronic illness and an inability to drive in a place with next to no public transport. I’m self-isolating, and doing so by changing pretty much none of my day-to-day life. That has not been because of privilege, and my continued social isolation is still not because of privilege.

Vent your frustrations. Have those conversations that need to be had. But be careful with what you’re saying. There are disabled people who have had to (and will continue to have to after the pandemic has died down) live in very isolated situations. Disabled people are not “privileged for being able to self-isolate,” and you do absolutely hurt us with the blanket statements paining anyone who can “afford to self-isolate” as privileged.

— C. Perry (via aslfan)

Kind reminder that the people who truly care about your wellbeing will respect your boundaries. It's that simple. Stop looking for excuses.

Freddie Mercury

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Just a casual reminder, if someone online says ‘I’d like to stop talking about this’, it’s not okay to keep sending asks about it. You are still ignoring a set boundary that a real person set. People are allowed to have boundaries online as well as offline, and ignoring them online is just as disrespectful as ignoring them offline.

If you’re dealing with chronic illness like me, I just want to remind you that you aren’t failing because you can’t “positive” think your symptoms away. You aren’t failing if you can’t use “mind over matter”.

You can’t will your body to work the way you want it to, and that really sucks, but you aren’t a failure for it.

When people are all “I don’t see you as disabled, I see you as a person” all I can think is “why not both?”

It is very true that you shouldn’t consistently be putting far more effort into a friendship or other relationship than the other person, but I see quite a few people take that fact a step too far and expect a level of dedication and attention from their loved ones which is both unhealthy and unrealistic in order for them to count as a “real” friend.

So here’s a reminder that no matter how much your loved ones love you, their lives don’t revolve around you - and that’s okay! That’s how it’s supposed to be and it does not mean that they do not care about you.

Sometimes your loved ones will forget to answer a text and leave you on read - not because they don’t care about you, but because they got interrupted by something and then got distracted by it.

Sometimes your loved ones will be too busy to hang out - not because they don’t care about you, but because like everyone else, they have limited energy and might need to prioritize other things sometimes.

Sometimes your loved ones will not be able to drop everything in order to come be there for you - not because they don’t want to, but because they have their own responsibilities and plans which they need to stay on top of.

Sometimes your loved ones won’t notice that you’re struggling until you tell them directly - not because they don’t care, but because they aren’t mind readers and likely don’t have the time or the energy required to analyze your every move.

Sometimes your loved ones will say no to you - not because they do not love you, but because we all have boundaries and limits and can’t always do everything other people ask us to no matter how much we care.

Sometimes your loved ones will say the wrong thing and hurt you - not because they hate you, but because everyone makes mistakes.

Sometimes your loved ones won’t be in the mood to talk or hang out - not because they have a problem with you, but because we all have days where we’re not in the mood to be around other people.

My point is that in a healthy friendship, there has to be room for all of the above. There has to be room for being too busy or too tired, there has to be room for mistakes, there has to be room for saying no, there has to be room for everyone involved to live a life which doesn’t constantly revolve around being there for your loved ones.

You should obviously not accept mistreatment and it’s okay to distance yourself from people who does not put actual effort into being a positive part of your life, but expecting your friends to ALWAYS be available EVERY TIME you need them is neither healthy or fair. Cause when everything comes down to it, they’re their own person with their own life and not a NPC in yours - and that’s important to remember.

You do not owe it to ANYONE, even yourself, to reach your absolute maximum “potential”

I think you should try to lead a good life. To lead a happy life. To do good deeds, and to find a life you can be proud of. But you don’t need to force the absolute highest possible achievement out of yourself. You don’t need to live your entire life without making any mistakes, or missing any opportunities. You are allowed to take it easy sometimes. You are allowed to be human. 

Maybe you have made some big mistakes that got you “off track” in a major way. That’s ok! It doesn’t mean you wasted your life. Maybe you aren’t doing as much as you possibly could each day. That’s ok too! There is no score in life. There is no one best path. You are enough, I promise <3 

Respect disabled people. Not because we're "just as capable as you" or "just as smart as you" or "just as normal as you" because many of us aren't - and you should still respect us simply because we're just as human as you.

YOUR WRITING HOLDS VALUE, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY READS OR COMMENTS YOU GET. PLEASE DON'T EVER FEEL LIKE YOUR WRITING'S INSIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS NOT

When you respond to someone calling themselves disabled with "no you're not!" you are not providing support and encouragement - you're actively invalidating and disregarding their lived experience. And there is nothing supportive about that.