the writer [vae/xe] ✡️ @diemaddyke@leftist.network

new video’s up :) our year as a collective!! it’s been a messy year and we almost didn’t finish the video in time, but i’m so proud that we did.

https://youtu.be/DuwrMELIPBY

#pluralgang #plural #pluraltuber #pluraltube #multiple #multiplesystem #system #cripplepunk #madpride

It's a little sad actually, realising how many of the norms that have decayed since the twitter migration are accommodations that existed to prevent casual ableism on social media. Content warnings and alt-text feel like the biggest casualties, but in general I feel like there's been an overall decline in the idea of consent as a primary value. I think I'm grieving that loss a little

I guess the norm of using content warnings when posting photos with direct eye contact is dead now? Sigh. I'm going to miss the fediverse that was

I'm starting to see this in the wild on the fediverse now. I figured I'd see it before long.

If you are currently using these so-called "fonts", please stop doing so. Use Unicode characters for the purposes they are designed for. Breaking screen readers doesn't make you cool.

🦇

#ScreenReader #Accessibility

I see some people talking about screen reader accessibility, so I want to point out a real bad habit some people have gotten into on Twitter and on Carrd pages which wreaks havoc on screen reader accessibility. I thankfully haven't seen it on the fediverse much.

Usually people refer to the habit as "Twitter fonts". This is a misnomer, though; these so-called "fonts" are just misusing various Unicode characters (mostly those designated as mathematical symbols) because someone thinks they "look cool". DO NOT DO THIS. Depending on the screen reader, some of them might be moderately legible, some of them might get spelled out, and the worst of them will spit out garbage like "JAPANESE LETTER JAPANESE LETTER CHINESE LETTER SQUARE ROOT CHINESE LETTER".

I recorded a video a while back to demonstrate how bad this can get:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLDvg0cZYZ8

🦇

#ScreenReader #Accessibility

I don't know why so many of you seem to think you're refugees just because you've had to create a new account somewhere, but for the umpteenth time: You're not a refugee just because you moved to another website. The act of creating an account and finding your contacts somewhere else pales in comparison.

It's also not hard to just say you "came here from Twitter." (Also, here's another question for you: Why is Twitter so much of your identity? Chew on that.)

With another wave of folks coming in, I'm just going to say: I will not be engaging with anyone who calls themself a "Twitter Refugee." I will not accept your follow request, and I will just mute you.

The asteroid that ended the dinosaurs was technically the highest ratio of killing birds to one stone.

I’m just saying, if my entire job was editing the crossword of the New York Times, I would make extra sure I don’t accidentally publish a fucking swastika a second time. Perhaps extra so on the first day of Hanukkah during a year of rising antisemitism.

Protip for the new mastodonians: don't obfuscate names or words - only hashtags work for search so you won't get troll bombed if you say Elon Musk.

Filters, however, work on anything, so those who don't want to see Elon Musk won't see this post.

But if you write El*n M*sk they WILL see it, and that might make them mad, so don't do it okay? Let people use their filters.

A gentle reminder to folks who are new to Mastodon. In solidarity with those in the disabled community who rely on screen readers, we ask that you:

* Add alt text/image descriptions when you post media
* Capitalize the first letter of every word in a hashtag #LikeThis

#StrongerTogether #Accessibility #Disability #Solidarity

first they came for the immigrants, but i didn't care, because those people cause a lot of problems and they're unclean and strange

then they came for the homeless, but i didn't care, because i like my cities clean and they could just get a job, really what's so hard about that

then they came for the pregnant, but i didn't care, because men like me can always get their girlfriends an abortion if needed

then they came for the trans people, but i didn't care, because frankly they're sort of weird and just a fad and we're just indulging them and their wacko doctors

then they came for the permanently disabled, but i didn't care, because i was in good health and they should just stay at home or eat healthier

then they came for the journalists, and i wrote an op-ed titled “first they came for the journalists”

— liberal journalists

I keep seeing that “first they came for the journalists” sign, and it pisses me off so much, because when they came for muslims, immigrants, and trans people, mainstream journalists normalized it and reported it as “both sides”. Somehow it didn’t count for them until it was happening to them personally, which is *exactly* what the fucking poem was warning against in the first place.

FWIW I don't recommend outright deleting your Twitter account. After 30 days your username becomes free so anyone can register it to impersonate you. Deleting your account also doesn't delete your data from their system. Best thing to do is set your bio to your Mastodon handle, then periodically tweet a list of places where your followers can find you so your account isn't deleted for inactivity.

new video by crow/​ on our channel about cats & pets recognizing headmates! check it out!

https://youtu.be/zTi8rZEDCfg