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addme2024-10-01 07:31 pm
Hello!
Hello there, another cohost castaway here. Used to use LiveJournal way back in the turn of the millennium, so this feels somewhat familiar even if it's been a long time. Trying to find people to talk to/with, since that was the primary thing I enjoyed about the eggbug site - being able to converse with people with similar interests.
My own page is still not formatted exactly the way I'd like it to be (I want to fiddle with the CSS and make it mobile-friendly), but time is at a premium most days. Still enjoy seeing what people are into and chatting about it with them.
On to the Q&A, I suppose:
Name: I'd prefer it if you just called me "onlyknownothing," or OKN. I'm from the "don't share info on the internet" era - if I know you well, and you care to ask, you can PM me if it becomes a burning curiosity or something.
Age: Adult. Was on LiveJournal for the Strikethrough. My first computer was an Amiga 500. My first connection to the Internet was dial-in BBS boards via a 14400 external modem. I'm not comfortable giving more specifics, but that should be enough to know that I've been through a bit.
I Mostly Post About: I tend to share art and vintage/historical media, though I very much enjoy talking about TTRPG theory (for a bit I wrote for a small, now-defunct publisher) and am trying to design my own solo system. I'm also likely to post anything I find particularly relaxing or enjoyable; I am a particular fan of "slow TV" and no-commentary-no-music videos of natural areas, but anything which falls within the scope of "something I'd like to share with others" might show up.
I tend to focus on helping people, too, so probably a good third of what I post tends to be "useful information" stuff - public service announcements, tips/tricks/tools from some site or other, that sort of thing.
My Hobbies Are: Tabletop gaming (though it's pretty much solo RPGs for me now at the moment), writing, cooking, some video games (my laptop doesn't play nicely with modern AAA games, so I'm mostly playing indies and old-school stuff right now).
My Fandoms Are: I... don't really have any fandoms to be honest. I like hearing people talk excitedly about whatever thing they're passionate about, but having an in-depth background as a writer/editor means I'm personally doing things like analyzing characterization and plotting instead of getting specific shows or series irretrievably wedged in my consciousness (like it seems most fandom circles operate from the position of). I really enjoy talking theory, and love deconstructing the hows and whys behind creative decisions, but I'm happy doing that about any narrative.
My Posting Schedule Tends to Be: Sporadic. I post when I both see something I want to share and have the time/energy to do so. Sometimes that's a lot all at once, sometimes there's a lull. I'm always happy to talk when I have the opportunity, though - I comment a lot more than I post.
When I Add People, my Dealbreakers Are: Very simply - I am online with the core mindset of "improve and nurture my self, my fellows, and my surroundings." I want to help others, I want to create a space where I can express my weird way of being openly, and I want to escape the stressors of living in a place where I don't have that opportunity often. If you are posting in a way that causes me stress due to large amounts of negativity over a long period, I'm probably going to stop following your posts for my own peace of mind. Please don't take it personally; many people are justified in their anger and fear and stress. I'm just having to do what I need to do to keep my online space constructive for me.
If you're a bigot or troll or openly advocate for things that harm those I care about, I will both unfollow you and ban you from commenting. I cannot force you to reevaluate your life choices, but I can remove you from direct impact upon my life and will not hesitate to do so.
Before Adding Me, You Should Know: I use the Internet to communicate as my authentic self, as I am in a place where that is difficult and I have few opportunities to do so. I will always be respectful and I always mean well, but I am neurodivergent and this is an important social outlet for me. As a result... I talk. A lot. If you comment anything more than a word or two on a post, I'll probably post paragraphs back. (You can see how much I've written here.)
I am private about my personal information, and don't like sharing it on open posts. I've seen too many people get themselves in trouble by giving out enough info that they're able to be doxxed, and I don't want that trouble. I'm more open in private conversation, if it gets to the point where you're actually curious.
Thanks for reading. 🙂
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It's possible. I went through a big posting spree my first weeks there, trying to cart over everything I wanted to keep from Tumblr so I could ditch it for good. Wound up running into posting burnout before ever getting it done, but a lot of people really seemed to like the art and stuff. Wouldn't be surprised if something wound up doing the rounds.
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Sure, that sounds lovely. I very much appreciate your approach, and respect it whole-heartedly. For the record, just so you're aware - I do not have any private posts at the moment because I'm still adjusting to things like them existing. Eventually I hope I'll get the hang of it.
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I'm into gaming and historical/vintage stuff and love reading about that sort of thing. My journal is locked because of my previous job and that I post a lot about life with my kid. But you can read my About Me if you want to see what it's generally about and decide if you want to connect :)
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Ah, yes! Hello! From your "about" post you seem like we share quite a number of interests, so I would be happy to take a look at what you see fit to share. 🙂
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I appreciate the efforts to protect others. I'm happy to give you a follow and see what happens. 🙂
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I didn't get to participate much in the very early years of the internet, mostly because I didn't own a computer (what a luxury!) and the computer lab at my college was somewhat limited in what we could do. But I set up a LJ account in '99 or 2000 with my spiffy new iMac.
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I will say, you weren't exactly missing much. I mention my "old internet" experiences more because it gives a basic signpost of my age range without directly stating it, not because I think it was actually better back then. It was just... less corporate.
I wish it were possible to have the "this is a new, world-changing realm for exploration and creation" mentality which pervaded that early time alongside the more diverse user-base of the modern internet. The early BBS days were monolithically white upper-middle-class men; there might have been less toxic behavior online at that time, but honestly I feel that's primarily because there wasn't anybody online back then to challenge the base assumptions of the users by being something other than a technologically-minded white guy who could afford or wrangle access to a computer with a modem. I was young at the time, so I only really recognize it in reflection, but... no wonder the worst things people argued about were Star Trek versus Star Wars and other nonsense. There was nobody around whose existence threatened the preconceptions of the other users in those small insular dial-in BBS boards.
About the one positive I can say about it was that it was WAY easier back then to find people sharing things communally, but that trend continued all the way up until the Napster crackdown really. 🤷
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Let me know if you'd like an Aussie friend
(Oh and I'm totally with you about the private information thing... maybe it's related to the era one grows up in?)
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Sure! Friendship knows no borders. I've had online friends all over the globe before, and the journal/comment system here is very forgiving to different sleep/activity schedules. 🙂
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(Also I saw you could talk about TTRPG game design? I might ask a few things at some point - i dont have lots of time for it, but I had some projects about making my own games.. though im also the type to get a hundred ideas and never finish them, oop.)
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Hey, older neurodivergent person here (autism spectrum). Happy to offer advice where I either have experience or know how to find more specialized information.
Same. I have dozens of half-finished things. It's a hobby, it doesn't have to be done to be a fun way to spend time. I'd love to talk TTRPGs and system design. There used to be a somewhat thriving community of designers on cohost, and it doesn't appear to exist here. I'd be super happy to offer advice and experience there (worked for a small-press RPG company for a bit before they folded, running games and helping make characters/rules/setting stuff).
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I'll be sure to ask you stuff then :] if i know where to even start!! Ack!!
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I understand. I lead with it in social (non professional) situations, because as someone who only GOT my diagnosis in my thirties I find that it makes some of my behaviors "make sense" to people when it might otherwise come off as rudeness. I used to get labeled as "weird" and "rude" a lot for what now gets more tolerance for having a label to apply, so I make sure to apply the label early to get past that.
That said, from what you just said you're significantly younger - and while it may not necessarily apply where you are from, where I live there was a lot more tribalism at a younger age as far as being labeled as "different" getting you othered. In my own personal experience I was unable to escape being labeled as something due to my inability to perfectly mimic neurotypical behaviors, but the people who were actively different by label didn't escape it either. All I can really say on that front is "being a teenager sucks unless you're on the top of the social ladder, for everybody else it gets better after that sort of nonsense stops mattering." 🤷