I have a cabbage patch doll from childhood named Emma Charlotte
May. 24th, 2025 05:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conulyI named her that, not the company. I thought it was a pretty, old-fashioned name, something buoyed by the fact that Charlotte in Charlotte Sometimes is told by her 50-years-ago counterpart's younger sister that it's funny that she has such an old-fashioned name - and that book was written in the 1960s!
Take a look at how often the names "Emma" and "Charlotte" appear on each state's top three names for girls.
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Take a look at how often the names "Emma" and "Charlotte" appear on each state's top three names for girls.
( Read more... )
Ask a Manager is collectively losing their shit over how people flush toilets
May. 19th, 2025 05:04 pmconulyWith or without feet.
There's a few people in that thread adamantly going up and down asserting that, duh, how could the rest of us be so dumb as to not know that certain types of toilets are specifically designed to be flushed with the foot. None of them have provided any sort of evidence for this claim, which makes me think that their evidence boils down to "Mommy told me when I was a kid" or "Well, I flush with a foot so I just sort of assumed", and - man, I hate when people do that. Fucking back up your claims, or at least qualify them. "I was told by my preschool teacher, but I've never verified it" would be a lot more honest and less annoying.
Anyway, I have emailed the manufacturer most often mentioned in the comments to ask for their opinion. Mostly because that is how things ought to be done, but also because if these flushers are designed to be flushed with the foot, great, but if not then we have to ask if the other contingent, which is equally vociferously asserting that foot flushing increases wear and tear on the mechanism and causes breakdowns, needs to be taken seriously. Because what's really not okay is breaking the toilet for everybody who comes after you - and sure, you'll say that you are not the sole person responsible for breaking the toilet that much faster, but c'mon, everybody says that.
So let's see what we see, and in the meantime, let's also all wash our hands. With soap and water, thanks.
There's a few people in that thread adamantly going up and down asserting that, duh, how could the rest of us be so dumb as to not know that certain types of toilets are specifically designed to be flushed with the foot. None of them have provided any sort of evidence for this claim, which makes me think that their evidence boils down to "Mommy told me when I was a kid" or "Well, I flush with a foot so I just sort of assumed", and - man, I hate when people do that. Fucking back up your claims, or at least qualify them. "I was told by my preschool teacher, but I've never verified it" would be a lot more honest and less annoying.
Anyway, I have emailed the manufacturer most often mentioned in the comments to ask for their opinion. Mostly because that is how things ought to be done, but also because if these flushers are designed to be flushed with the foot, great, but if not then we have to ask if the other contingent, which is equally vociferously asserting that foot flushing increases wear and tear on the mechanism and causes breakdowns, needs to be taken seriously. Because what's really not okay is breaking the toilet for everybody who comes after you - and sure, you'll say that you are not the sole person responsible for breaking the toilet that much faster, but c'mon, everybody says that.
So let's see what we see, and in the meantime, let's also all wash our hands. With soap and water, thanks.
Birdfeeding
May. 19th, 2025 12:36 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a catbird, a starling, and a young fox squirrel. I heard a blue jay screaming but didn't see it.
I put out water for the birds.
I put out the flats of pots and watered them.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- We went shopping. I have 2 new water pans for the giant pots, 4 new large-ish pots, and 2 bags of composed manure. I still need to get more of the Evergreen potting soil, though.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I took a few pictures of flowers.
I've seen two young fox squirrels chasing each other.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I trimmed grass where I will put one of the giant pots.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I filled the giant pot with half composted manure and half potting soil, then planted a pot of 2 zucchini plants.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I trimmed grass where I will put the second giant pot.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I filled the giant pot with half composted manure and half potting soil, then planted a pot of 2 straightneck yellow squash plants.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I watered the giant pots and the picnic table garden.
.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a catbird, a starling, and a young fox squirrel. I heard a blue jay screaming but didn't see it.
I put out water for the birds.
I put out the flats of pots and watered them.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- We went shopping. I have 2 new water pans for the giant pots, 4 new large-ish pots, and 2 bags of composed manure. I still need to get more of the Evergreen potting soil, though.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I took a few pictures of flowers.
I've seen two young fox squirrels chasing each other.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I trimmed grass where I will put one of the giant pots.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I filled the giant pot with half composted manure and half potting soil, then planted a pot of 2 zucchini plants.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I trimmed grass where I will put the second giant pot.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I filled the giant pot with half composted manure and half potting soil, then planted a pot of 2 straightneck yellow squash plants.
EDIT 5/19/25 -- I watered the giant pots and the picnic table garden.
.
Well, Sebastian has still not been seen (except by my down the block neighbor)
May. 23rd, 2025 01:01 amconulybut we've got a new semi-feral slipping into our house, one of last year's kittens. So, uh, I'm still not allowed to fix that basement window I guess?
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Poetry Fishbowl Report for May 6, 2025
May. 18th, 2025 11:52 pmysabetwordsmithOur theme this time was "Ethical Supervillains." I wrote from 12:45 PM to 3:45 AM, so about 13 hours, accounting for breaks. I wrote 3 poems on Tuesday and another 3 later in the week.
Participation was up considerably, with 6 comments on LiveJournal and another 41 on Dreamwidth. A total of 12 people sent prompts.
Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the May 6, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"The Care and Feeding of Supervillains"
"A Lens of Ice"
"The More Bizarre It Gets"
"Ruling from Beneath"
"Show My True Colors"
Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list from May 6. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.
This session's donors include:siliconshaman, fuzzyred, janetmiles, and je_reviens. All sponsored poems from this fishbowl have been posted. There are 3 tallies toward a bonus fishbowl.
The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.
Participation was up considerably, with 6 comments on LiveJournal and another 41 on Dreamwidth. A total of 12 people sent prompts.
Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the May 6, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"The Care and Feeding of Supervillains"
"A Lens of Ice"
"The More Bizarre It Gets"
"Ruling from Beneath"
"Show My True Colors"
Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list from May 6. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.
This session's donors include:
siliconshaman, fuzzyred, janetmiles, and je_reviens. All sponsored poems from this fishbowl have been posted. There are 3 tallies toward a bonus fishbowl.The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.
Unsold Poems for the May 6, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl
May. 18th, 2025 11:16 pmysabetwordsmithThe following poems from the May 6, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl are currently available. Poems may be sponsored via PayPal -- there's a permanent donation button on my Dreamwidth profile page -- or you can write to me and discuss other methods. There are still verses left in the linkback poems "Delight in Another," "A Sense of Weather Changes," "Ouroboros Insects," "The Loving Embrace of Night," "Generations of Cooks Past," "Homefree and Clear, " "One Bite at a Time," "Stars and Diamonds," "Mishpocha," "Changing Your Nature," and "Besa."
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Poem: "A Lens of Ice"
May. 18th, 2025 10:45 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the May 6, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by goatgodschild. It also fills the "Grey Area" square in my 5-1-25 card for the Color Fest Bingo. This poem belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes bullying, bigotry, theft, a fistfight, frank discussion of superpowers, angst, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward. It follows "Sadness Like a Battle Flag" and "Your Own Blissful Path," so this will make more sense if you have read those first.
( Read more... )
goatgodschild. It also fills the "Grey Area" square in my 5-1-25 card for the Color Fest Bingo. This poem belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes bullying, bigotry, theft, a fistfight, frank discussion of superpowers, angst, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward. It follows "Sadness Like a Battle Flag" and "Your Own Blissful Path," so this will make more sense if you have read those first.
( Read more... )
Tags:
The Irregulars (part 1 of 1, complete)
May. 18th, 2025 10:40 pmdialecticdreamerThe Irregulars
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1769
:: Pay Special Attention: HANKY WARNING! Discussions of family-focused grief, and a few reasons why such grief developed. Specific mention of a crib death and miscarriages, and violation of a teen father’s rights, among other forms of parent-child grief. ::
“First meeting?” a woman asked, her rectangular face softening as she smiled. “Welcome to The Irregulars.”
Kimberly nodded shyly. “My family would absolutely flip their--” She broke off, hissing under her breath, then took a slow breath. “They’d lose their minds if I were seen attending a ‘nontraditional grief support group,” she explained.
( Read more... )
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1769
:: Pay Special Attention: HANKY WARNING! Discussions of family-focused grief, and a few reasons why such grief developed. Specific mention of a crib death and miscarriages, and violation of a teen father’s rights, among other forms of parent-child grief. ::
“First meeting?” a woman asked, her rectangular face softening as she smiled. “Welcome to The Irregulars.”
Kimberly nodded shyly. “My family would absolutely flip their--” She broke off, hissing under her breath, then took a slow breath. “They’d lose their minds if I were seen attending a ‘nontraditional grief support group,” she explained.
( Read more... )
Artificial Intelligence
May. 18th, 2025 04:18 pmysabetwordsmithProfessors Staffed a Fake Company Entirely With AI Agents
As Business Insider first reported, the results were dismal. The best-performing model was Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet, which struggled to finish just 24 percent of the jobs assigned to it. The study's authors note that even this meager performance is prohibitively expensive, averaging nearly 30 steps and a cost of over $6 per task.
Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash, meanwhile, averaged a time-consuming 40 steps per finished task, but only had an 11.4 percent rate of success — the second highest of all the models. The worst AI employee was Amazon's Nova Pro v1, which finished just 1.7 percent of its assignments at an average of almost 20 steps.
While corporations may wish to replace human employees with software, it is not yet feasible for complex tasks. Only the simplest jobs are really at risk.
As Business Insider first reported, the results were dismal. The best-performing model was Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet, which struggled to finish just 24 percent of the jobs assigned to it. The study's authors note that even this meager performance is prohibitively expensive, averaging nearly 30 steps and a cost of over $6 per task.
Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash, meanwhile, averaged a time-consuming 40 steps per finished task, but only had an 11.4 percent rate of success — the second highest of all the models. The worst AI employee was Amazon's Nova Pro v1, which finished just 1.7 percent of its assignments at an average of almost 20 steps.
While corporations may wish to replace human employees with software, it is not yet feasible for complex tasks. Only the simplest jobs are really at risk.
Birdfeeding
May. 18th, 2025 12:57 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I put out the flats of pots and watered them.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- We drilled drain holes in the 2 giant pots we bought yesterday. I'm wondering if one would work as a water garden, for future reference.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- While working on various projects, I saw a young fox squirrel on the hopper feeder, who has absolutely no sense of self-preservation and stayed put while I walked past within arm's reach.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I intended to fill up one of the giant pots, only to discover that I'm almost out of composted manure. :/
So instead I moved the flats of wildflowers from the ground at the west end of the new picnic table to the ground east of it, then trimmed grass at the west end so I can later set up the tall planter with shelves.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I got a bit more yardwork done.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I set up the tall planter with shelves at the west end of the new picnic table. I haven't put any pots on it yet.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I watered the strawberry towers.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I've seen a blue jay and a starling.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I trimmed brush around the patio.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I trimmed brush around the barrel garden and a few other places.
I brought in the flats of pots.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I put out the flats of pots and watered them.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- We drilled drain holes in the 2 giant pots we bought yesterday. I'm wondering if one would work as a water garden, for future reference.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- While working on various projects, I saw a young fox squirrel on the hopper feeder, who has absolutely no sense of self-preservation and stayed put while I walked past within arm's reach.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I intended to fill up one of the giant pots, only to discover that I'm almost out of composted manure. :/
So instead I moved the flats of wildflowers from the ground at the west end of the new picnic table to the ground east of it, then trimmed grass at the west end so I can later set up the tall planter with shelves.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I got a bit more yardwork done.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I set up the tall planter with shelves at the west end of the new picnic table. I haven't put any pots on it yet.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I watered the strawberry towers.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I've seen a blue jay and a starling.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I trimmed brush around the patio.
EDIT 5/18/25 -- I trimmed brush around the barrel garden and a few other places.
I brought in the flats of pots.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
To remind us of the world that we lost
May. 18th, 2025 11:44 pmshadowhivePost time! Mostly Who related cause oh boy that was a lot.
Friday night I finished the second Classic Doctors New Monsters 2 with Day Of The Vashta Nerada which may be my fav of the four stories. It’s an Eighth Doctor story and the audios of him always make me sad he never got a full televised series. But this was such a great story obviously it’s inspired by Jurassic park (one of the guys even has a name similar to Nedry).
Also yesterday I finished the year of Night Vale I was listening too and damn, I’m so glad that the university of what it is arc is over cause I hated Doctor Lubelle (even more so in those last ep) but damn her fate felt so fitting and so satisfying.
The rest of the day was spent distracting myself by watching Murder She Wrote and playing fortnite and generally avoiding the internet causa spoilers cause we get major warnings that something was going down.
Thoughts on the Doctor Who ep, The Interstellar Song contest which despite the name is not the fun camp ep you might expect. (And there’s gonna be major spoilers cause it’s an ep that, again surprisingly, has some)
( Read more... )
After that I watched the actual song contest and, like before it was good but felt… I dunno. And then there was the end were Isreal somehow came second and it’s obvious that it’s down to Zionists just voting en masse and rigging the system. Thankfully they didn’t win and Austria did but it’s still disappointing both they were there and people were giving then 12’s.
Bleh.
Today I watched Rogue One which I wanted to do after Andor, as many others have cause it’s the number 1 film on Disney+ right now. And damn the whole thing is so good but I’m surprised how many things just.l. Gave me extra feels this time. It wasn’t just the scenes with Cassian (especially the last one), it was Galen’s message, it was the sense that so much was sacrificed to get to this point. And also that Krennic had a very bad not good few days with leaks and how he ended up screwed over just like Dedra did. (And damn him saying ‘Who are you?’ too)
Now it’s time to poke the laptop before dnd and then… who knows?
Friday night I finished the second Classic Doctors New Monsters 2 with Day Of The Vashta Nerada which may be my fav of the four stories. It’s an Eighth Doctor story and the audios of him always make me sad he never got a full televised series. But this was such a great story obviously it’s inspired by Jurassic park (one of the guys even has a name similar to Nedry).
Also yesterday I finished the year of Night Vale I was listening too and damn, I’m so glad that the university of what it is arc is over cause I hated Doctor Lubelle (even more so in those last ep) but damn her fate felt so fitting and so satisfying.
The rest of the day was spent distracting myself by watching Murder She Wrote and playing fortnite and generally avoiding the internet causa spoilers cause we get major warnings that something was going down.
Thoughts on the Doctor Who ep, The Interstellar Song contest which despite the name is not the fun camp ep you might expect. (And there’s gonna be major spoilers cause it’s an ep that, again surprisingly, has some)
( Read more... )
After that I watched the actual song contest and, like before it was good but felt… I dunno. And then there was the end were Isreal somehow came second and it’s obvious that it’s down to Zionists just voting en masse and rigging the system. Thankfully they didn’t win and Austria did but it’s still disappointing both they were there and people were giving then 12’s.
Bleh.
Today I watched Rogue One which I wanted to do after Andor, as many others have cause it’s the number 1 film on Disney+ right now. And damn the whole thing is so good but I’m surprised how many things just.l. Gave me extra feels this time. It wasn’t just the scenes with Cassian (especially the last one), it was Galen’s message, it was the sense that so much was sacrificed to get to this point. And also that Krennic had a very bad not good few days with leaks and how he ended up screwed over just like Dedra did. (And damn him saying ‘Who are you?’ too)
Now it’s time to poke the laptop before dnd and then… who knows?
Done Since 2025-05-11
May. 18th, 2025 03:13 pmmdlbearSo, not a bad week. (Can I accurately call it a "pretty good" week? I'm never able to make judgements like that.) But I did some guitar practice, and got out for a walk four times, and sang a little with m, who came back from the US last Sunday (bringing mail that had accumulated at our US address). N came back from New York yesterday; she gave me a little "engraving and drill pen" as an unbirthday present -- it had arrived while she was gone. j came over as well, so we had all of my Dutch family here. G made baked salmon.
Apparently I totally forgot about posting Thankful Thursday this week. Well, Thursday was pretty eventful, with a urology appointment (I can expect to hear back a week from Wednesday about what my ongoing treatment will be), some singing practice with m, and actually performing the songs we'd practiced at Eurofilk. (Is "at" the right word for attending an event by zoom?)
... and forgot to mention Mother's Day in last week's post, though that's not terribly surprising, since I have no-one to call anymore.
Yesterday I finally stopped waffling and (finally!) pre-ordered a Framework 12" Laptop. I've been eyeing it for some time, and coveting a Framework for years. I increased the specs over what I'd initially configured, but because I'd waffled over it I won't get it until Q3 sometime. Bah! I'll post a lot more once it finally ships.
Also, yesterday was the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia; there's that. Some more trans-related links under Saturday. And today is the 45th anniversary of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. (Which of course sent me down a rabbit-hole involving magma, hollow-Earth fiction, and so on.)
As for links, here from yesterdat is a list of The world's five happiest cities for 2025. Look for your hometown in the Institute for Quality of Life's Happy City Index 2025. Den Haag ranks #65, and Seattle is #80.
Summer of the 69
May. 18th, 2025 02:49 amysabetwordsmithThe theme calendar has been posted for ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
summerofthe69. Grab some lube and your favorite characters! :D
summerofthe69. Grab some lube and your favorite characters! :D"Babes in the Pineywoods" is now complete!
May. 17th, 2025 11:25 pmysabetwordsmithBased on an audience poll, "Babes in the Pineywoods" is now complete. Bo-Art and Creamjeans take their leave of the Pineyspooks.
Creative Jam
May. 17th, 2025 10:32 pmysabetwordsmithThe crowdfunding Creative Jam is running Saturday, May 17-Sunday, May 18 with a theme of "Facing Darkness." Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration!
What I Have Written:
From My Prompts:
crowdfunding Creative Jam is running Saturday, May 17-Sunday, May 18 with a theme of "Facing Darkness." Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration!What I Have Written:
From My Prompts:
Tags:
A Sleepless Night (part 1 of 1, complete)
May. 17th, 2025 11:06 pmdialecticdreamerA Sleepless Night
By Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1156
[Landing #7, day 1, VERY late at night]
:: Anita can’t sleep. As it turns out, neither can Backstep. They have a tentative conversation, but soon fall into much deeper concepts. Part of the Sidestep Travelers series. ::
Anita tiptoed into the kitchen, one hand rubbing at the base of her neck. She paused as she reached for the light switch, focusing on the teenager curled on the floor, cradling a steaming mug in both hands. “The chairs don’t bite,” Anita whispered, and tried on an awkward smile. “Can’t sleep?”
“I have nightmares, sometimes,” Backstep admitted. “If you need a light, go ahead. I don’t think I’ll be getting any more sleep tonight.”
“I haven’t gotten to sleep yet,” Anita admitted, still whispering. She flicked on the light with a wince.
( Read more... )
By Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1156
[Landing #7, day 1, VERY late at night]
:: Anita can’t sleep. As it turns out, neither can Backstep. They have a tentative conversation, but soon fall into much deeper concepts. Part of the Sidestep Travelers series. ::
Anita tiptoed into the kitchen, one hand rubbing at the base of her neck. She paused as she reached for the light switch, focusing on the teenager curled on the floor, cradling a steaming mug in both hands. “The chairs don’t bite,” Anita whispered, and tried on an awkward smile. “Can’t sleep?”
“I have nightmares, sometimes,” Backstep admitted. “If you need a light, go ahead. I don’t think I’ll be getting any more sleep tonight.”
“I haven’t gotten to sleep yet,” Anita admitted, still whispering. She flicked on the light with a wince.
( Read more... )
Creative Jam
May. 17th, 2025 08:19 pmysabetwordsmith posting in crowdfundingWelcome to the 143rd Crowdfunding Creative Jam! This session will run Saturday, May 17-Sunday, May 18. The theme is "Facing Darkness."
Crowdfunding Creative Jam
Everyone is eligible to post prompts, which may be words or phrases, titles, images, etc. Prompters may request a specific creator, but everyone else may still use that prompt if they wish. Prompts may specify a particular character/world/etc. but creators may use the prompt for something else anyway and post the results. Prompters are still encouraged to post mostly prompts that anyone could use anywhere, as this maximizes the chance of having creators make something based on your prompt. Please title your comment "Prompt" or "Prompts" when providing inspiration so these are easy to find.
Prompt responses may also be treated as prompts and used for further inspiration. For example, a prompt may lead to a sketch which leads to a story, and so on. This kind of cascading inspiration is one of the most fun things about a collective jam session.
Everyone is eligible to use prompts, and everyone who wants to use a given prompt may do so, for maximum flexibility of creator choice in inspiration. You do not have to post a "Claim" reply when you decide to use a prompt, but this does help indicate what is going on so that other prompters can spread out their choice of prompts if they wish.
Creators are encouraged, but not required, to post at least one item free. Likewise, sharing a private copy of material with the prompter is encouraged but not required. Creative material resulting from prompts should be indicated in a reply to the prompt, with a link to the full content elsewhere on the creator's site (if desired); a brief excerpt and/or description of the material may be included in the reply (if desired). It helps to title your comment "Prompt Filled" or something like that so these are easy to identify. There is no time limit on responding to prompts. However, creators are encouraged to post replies sooner rather than later, as the attention of prompters will be highest during and shortly after the session.
Some items created from prompts may become available for sponsorship. Some creators may offer perks for donations, linkbacks, or other activity relating to this project. Check creator comments and links for their respective offerings.
Prompters, creators, and bystanders are expected to behave in a responsible and civil manner. If the moderators have to drag someone out of the sandbox for improper behavior, we will not be amused. Please respect other people's territory and intellectual property rights, and only play with someone else's characters/setting/etc. if you have permission. (Fanfic/fanart freebies are okay.) If you want to invite folks to play with something of yours, title the comment something like "Open Playground" so it's easy to spot. This can be a good way to attract new people to a shared world or open-source project, or just have some good non-canon fun.
Boost the signal! The more people who participate, the more fun this will be. Hopefully we'll see activity from a lot of folks who regularly mention their projects in this community, but new people are always welcome. You can link to this session post or to individual items created from prompts, whatever you think is awesome enough to recommend to your friends.
Crowdfunding Creative Jam
Everyone is eligible to post prompts, which may be words or phrases, titles, images, etc. Prompters may request a specific creator, but everyone else may still use that prompt if they wish. Prompts may specify a particular character/world/etc. but creators may use the prompt for something else anyway and post the results. Prompters are still encouraged to post mostly prompts that anyone could use anywhere, as this maximizes the chance of having creators make something based on your prompt. Please title your comment "Prompt" or "Prompts" when providing inspiration so these are easy to find.
Prompt responses may also be treated as prompts and used for further inspiration. For example, a prompt may lead to a sketch which leads to a story, and so on. This kind of cascading inspiration is one of the most fun things about a collective jam session.
Everyone is eligible to use prompts, and everyone who wants to use a given prompt may do so, for maximum flexibility of creator choice in inspiration. You do not have to post a "Claim" reply when you decide to use a prompt, but this does help indicate what is going on so that other prompters can spread out their choice of prompts if they wish.
Creators are encouraged, but not required, to post at least one item free. Likewise, sharing a private copy of material with the prompter is encouraged but not required. Creative material resulting from prompts should be indicated in a reply to the prompt, with a link to the full content elsewhere on the creator's site (if desired); a brief excerpt and/or description of the material may be included in the reply (if desired). It helps to title your comment "Prompt Filled" or something like that so these are easy to identify. There is no time limit on responding to prompts. However, creators are encouraged to post replies sooner rather than later, as the attention of prompters will be highest during and shortly after the session.
Some items created from prompts may become available for sponsorship. Some creators may offer perks for donations, linkbacks, or other activity relating to this project. Check creator comments and links for their respective offerings.
Prompters, creators, and bystanders are expected to behave in a responsible and civil manner. If the moderators have to drag someone out of the sandbox for improper behavior, we will not be amused. Please respect other people's territory and intellectual property rights, and only play with someone else's characters/setting/etc. if you have permission. (Fanfic/fanart freebies are okay.) If you want to invite folks to play with something of yours, title the comment something like "Open Playground" so it's easy to spot. This can be a good way to attract new people to a shared world or open-source project, or just have some good non-canon fun.
Boost the signal! The more people who participate, the more fun this will be. Hopefully we'll see activity from a lot of folks who regularly mention their projects in this community, but new people are always welcome. You can link to this session post or to individual items created from prompts, whatever you think is awesome enough to recommend to your friends.