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The puritanical pursuit of platform purity
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Google: All your content are belong to us
Apparently, Google has changed their privacy policy and now says that they’ll scrape everything you post online to train their AI tools. I post my Fiction online on Substack and my WordPress blog and now wonder if this is a bad idea.
What makes me most mad about this Google “will scrape what you post online to train AI tools” thing is the gall of them to claim they have the right to do so. They index the Internet, they DON’T own it. I pay for hosting fees, I write the content. It’s like a postman taking things from your house just because he delivers things to your address.
It’s fine if they open a programme calling for data sets submissions with compensation.
It would’ve been fine if they were a company that created Internet tools with ethics in mind.
No, it’s “all your content are belong to us”.
I struck up a conversation on Mastodon about this, and I was hoping someone would come along to tell me that I’m panicking for no reason. But no, most of the responses I got was a resigned “acceptance” that there was no stopping them.
I think the worse thing about this is how some folks who work in tech are rolling their eyes at our reactions.
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by the lack of empathy some #tech bros have about the whole “Google is scraping content to train their AI” thing. Lots of people defending Google in tech forums, saying this has been done forever so why are we being such a baby about it?
Maybe because all they can think about is $$ they can get from us content producers and we’re standing in the way of that. All that yummy free content that they could mind and we have the gall to complain about being plundered so they could earn money from our labour? Pfft! We’re so entitlted, us content creators!
I feel like the Internet is devolving faster than my emotions can keep up.
Wondering if there’s a way to protect my content more if I use WordPress or Substack now that Google is openly admitting what we have suspected they have been doing all along.
I heard that paywalls/subscriber only walls can deter them?
What do you think writers can do to protect their content? Or should we just roll over and accept that this is the way things will be from now on?
Read: Google Says It’ll Scrape Everything You Post Online for AI
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How I am blogging the IndieWeb way
In my last post, I spoke about the differences between the POSSE and PESOS blogging styles and why it’s important. Today, I’m going to show you how I actually implement this with my website.
#1 Turn selected social media into posts
Unlike the POSSE gang, I prefer to PESOS my content. So I pick a social media post to expand into a blog post.
I’m pretty selective when turning social media posts into blog content and am pretty content to let some die and disappear. Seriously, not all my thoughts are worth recording in the blog, I promise.
And when I do record them, I don’t just copy and paste the social media posts wholesale on the blog. I prefer to rewrite the posts to suit the platform.
Every platform has a different audience, so every content should be tailored to them. Does this sound like a lot of work? It can be, but I generally like the rewriting experience, so it’s not a big deal for me.
Should you do it? Ideally, you should craft your content to suit different channels, but I have seen some IndieWeb bloggers who just auto-mirror everything into every channel. It really depends on what you prefer. I mean, it’s your online home!
#2 Mirror my Substack content onto this blog
If you are not aware of it already, I have a Substack newsletter, Tai Tales, where I post my fiction and write about publishing online.
I used to think that I needed to create special content just for Substack, but not anymore. For the longest time, I let my guard down because the folks at Substack seem really nice and writer-friendly. But after what happened to Twitter and Reddit, and remembering how Medium devolved into a platform where it’s now difficult to be seen, I need to face the hard truth that I’m not the boss of Substack (like, no duh) and it could easily disappear one day.
Because it isn’t a platform I control, the CEO may one day turn mercenary and think, “I need profits now and I don’t care how I screw over users to get it” or sell the company to less writer-friendly billionaires in the future.
The days of thinking, “Surely they won’t do this to their users?” is over. The lesson from the Internet/Social Media events of 2022 and 2023 is, anything can happen. So, I need to be ready to move at any time, eventhough I personally think that Substack is absolutely fabulous.
That’s why I’m currently in the process of copying over the content of my newsletter, Tai Tales, to my WordPress blog. Thanks to WordPress.com’s new newsletter feature, I can make this content only accessible to my people who subscribe or follow my blog. I can even make some of them paid!
What a non-subscriber sees when they come across one of my newsletter posts. I’ve also created a category, Tai Tales, to house the posts. In essence, I’m creating a separate channel and hopefully, stream of income, for my newsletter.
I’m not getting off Substack as the platform has a powerful recommendation engine. Since participating in its Notes feature, my subscriber count has shot up. Also, it’s a fun little place to hang out with other writers.
The problem is, it’s not terribly great at reaching readers outside its writer-heavy ecosystem of readers.
WordPress.com actually has a community and content recommendation ecosystem with their Jetpack Reader. It may not have as robust, user-friendly or active as Substack’s, but it still offers me the opportunity to reach readers who are outside the Substack ecosystem.
My theory is that not all WordPress.com users are eager to plug in to another ecosystem like Substack’s just to read my newsletter, so I’m offering them the option to subscribe to my blog without leaving the Jetpack Reader ecosystem.
#3 Automate notifications on various platforms
Each time I post content on this WordPress blog, a short, summary post will be sent out to the followers of my accounts on the following platforms:
- Tumblr
- Facebook page
- Mastodon
Fortunately, WordPress.com (which this blog is hosted on), makes it easy. I use its sharing features to push out notifications to the platform.
I also include links to new blog posts in the Weekend Tales edition of the Tai Tales newsletter. This is not automated.
If you dive into the IndieWeb space, which is dominated by tech-savvy folks or developers, you’ll find that lots of people automate their processes using fancy codes and tools. I’m not there yet, and honestly, I’m not sure if that’s the right approach for me. I just prefer my blog posts to be more human, you know?
#4 Include social media comments into blog posts
Brid.gy is a handy tool that lets me include Mastodon comments on my WordPress posts. It’s like bringing the discussions right into the heart of my blog. Pretty neat, huh? It helps foster a sense of community and interaction, which is what the Indieweb movement is all about. I wish I can make it look nicer though. Here’s how the comments look like on a blog post:
I may explore more automation options in the future, but honestly, I’m quite content with my current setup. By blogging the Indieweb way, I will have more control of my online content, and keep it from going poof due to a business decision at some faceless corporation somewhere.
It’s worth owning your digital home
If you’re a writer and not especially techy, this may all seem overwhelming to you, but trust me, it’s truly worth it not to be too centralised or dependent on one platform that you do not control.
Yes, it is sucky that you have to battle SEO content farms to get your website noticed on the Internet. But this is where platforms come in. You use their features and potential to make your content viral to spread your content. But your content needs a home that you control. Full stop.
So, if you have most of your content on Substack, for example, think seriously about mirroring it on your blog. If you have been building your audience on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, start funneling the content you’ve created there to your website.
Because a platform collapsing overnight is no longer a distant “what if”, but a “when”.
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POSSE and PESOS: Better ways to publish content
The Twitter meltdown made me realize something important: I’m a seriously prolific content creator. And I’ve been giving away all that content free to a platform that not only profits from it but treats me
like garbageunfairly when it comes to sharing said profits. Meaning, they don’t share a dime. When I downloaded my Twitter archive, it hit me like a ton of bricks that most of that content was not sitting in my website, so they could just disappear if a billionaire decides to cut me off from the platform.According to tech journalists, platforms are dying. I personally think they’re more resilient than that and people underestimate how reluctant people are when it comes to getting their hands dirty, building their own home on the Internet. They’d much rather use a ready-made platform where the tools are all ready to do this.
Still, with Twitter still melting, Facebook losing relevance, Reddit turning off many of its power users, we really need to stop putting ourselves in the position where we will be at the mercy of corporations and their business decisions.
Most of the time, these decisions are made solely in their own interest, not yours. Sure, using platforms can help us reach wider audiences, especially in a web overwhelmed by SEO-optimized sites and it’s tough for the little guy to stand out. But let’s not be fooled into thinking they have our best interests at heart, no matter how nice they seem right now.
So, how do we take control?
Well, I’ve been diving into the IndieWeb movement for the last few months, and it’s been a game-changer on how I’ve been blogging. Here’s how I’m doing it.
PESOS and POSSE: Are we in a Western?
We might as well be when it comes to with the IndieWeb movement! People barely know about the movement, so it’s uncharted territory for most. But for me, it has been refreshing and liberating to learn more about.
PESOS and POSSE are methods of publishing your content on the web that will ensure you have control over it:
POSSE (Publish on Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere)
PESOS (Publish Elsewhere, Syndicate to Own Site)
First, get a domain!
Your blog, whether it is on WordPress or Squarespace etc, should be owned by you. Meaning that you need to buy a domain name. With a domain name, each piece of content will have an address with a URL that you can control.
At the time of this writing, my wordpress.com website is still using a staging address — firediarist.wordpress.com. I have a domain name but haven’t gotten around transferring it yet. (Don’t be me.)
Indieweb folks tend to go a step further by favouring WordPress or Ghost as they are both widely-available, open-sourced content management system unlike Squarespace or Wix. As the latter platforms use proprietary systems, your content would be harder to transfer out of because there’s only one platform that uses their CMS. Their own.
With WordPress (even WordPress.com), you can easily transfer to another service that offers WordPress hosting. And there are a bajilion of them out there. (I can’t comment about Ghost as I’m not as familiar with the platform, but it comes highly recommended.)
Which method should you use?
While I use both methods interchangeably, PESOS is more my style.
I tend to have little bursts of inspiration and I often share these on social media because it is quick and easy to do so.
Some of these ideas make great blog posts, some end up in my trusty Obsidian vault as a note or a journal entry, some I don’t even bother to save. PESOS works for me because it enables me to create content spontaneously, quickly and flexibly.
From a logical standpoint (and if you talk to most IndieWeb purists), POSSE is more efficient.
You write a long, detailed post and then break it up into bite-sized pieces for distribution across platforms. It prevents “wasteful” content creation which might not end up on your blog or disappear into the digital ether.
Both methods have their merits. And it really depends on your personality and preferences.
Personally, POSSE just feels more tedious to me. It takes a lot more effort to organise my thoughts into a long proper post and then breaking it down into smaller content pieces. It prevents me from being quick and spontaneous; I’m a much, much slower and inefficient content creator with POSSE.
So, PESOS it is for me!
Next: I talk about how I actually implement POSSE/PESOS on my website.
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That Man
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A Dream of Splendor – review
Finally, a Chinese drama that is not just beautiful to look at, but is well acted, authentic, and celebrates womanly ideals and the female gaze.
The story
Zhao Pan’er, an intelligent and resourceful teahouse owner stumbles on a big conspiracy when she happens to be on the site of an ambush. Gu Qianfan, a leader of the elite Capital Security Office and nicknamed the “Living Devil”, forces her to help him escape.
This fateful meeting changes her life forever.
After that terrible night, Pan’er life takes an unexpected turn. Her fiancé Ouyang Xu, whom she had supported for many years, has abandoned her for a woman of higher social standing after gaining a prestigious position in the Capital.
Pan’er decides to travel to the Capital to find out the truth. She ends meeting Qianfan again. On the run from people who want him dead, he ends up having to rely on her to survive. (Unexpectedly, so does she.)
They are later joined by her two friends, Sun San Niang and Song Yin Zhang, who were both wronged by their husbands as well.
When they reach the Capital, all four have to face numerous trials. Fortunately, they now have each other.
The episodes (slight spoilers)
Episodes 1-16
My favourite arc of all. Our lovers meet, and what a messy meeting it was! Pan’er stumbles on Gu Qianfan as he is fleeing for his life. Instead of being the noble hero, he strikes Pan’er with a dart and tricks her into helping him escape. This one incident forces the two to rely on each other for weeks as they try to achieve their own goals. Qianfan wants to find out who is trying to get him killed. Pan’er wants to find her good-for-nothing Ouyang Xu who ditched her for a noblewoman once he became the Third Scholar.
Episodes 17-26
Our lovers have now confessed their love for each other and despite needing the keep their relationship secret, they are openly being lovey-dovey all over the Capital … not that I’m complaining, but I really doubt this was how people behaved in ancient China. But I forgive all things because Chen Xiao and Crystal Liu have such chemistry that, seriously, who cares about history and cultural norms when the guy can make your ovaries melt with a gaze?
Episodes 27-34
The “troubled” episodes. After such a strong and solid start, it’s as if the writer ran out of ideas to raise the stakes, so she throws the most eye-rolling plot contrivances imaginable including a period of noble idiocy from our until-now faultless Qianfan. Also, the jealous and half-insane Ouyang Xu returns to plague our couple with nefarious and frankly, stupid schemes. Various other political shenanigans get in the way of our couple’s happiness, and so on until the bitter end.
A reviewer on Youtube commented that it was best to forget everything that happened after episode 27 and just end it there. Can’t help but agree with her!
What I liked
- The leads’ natural, explosive chemistry. Far too often I cringe at kissing scenes or the skinship in Chinese or Korean dramas. But Qianfan and Pan’er not only has explosive chemistry but a very mature relationship where they (gasp) discuss things. I was particularly impressed by Pan’er’s refusal to flirt any further until Qianfan tells her what’s his true intentions were. When he finally declares it, he does it in such a charm and chivalrous way you can help but sigh with happiness.
- The exploration of Chinese tea culture. This is sad but I never knew that the Chinese had such a deep culture around tea. In this drama, we learned how tea was made and celebrated among the masses. I really appreciate that.
- It’s all about Girl Power but not it’s not in your face. I really enjoy watching the three women overcome their humiliation at the hands of men they loved and finding confidence in their abilities.
- The beauty of the costumes, the sets, heck, even the food. I love that the filmmakers stayed as a true as possible when it came to the period’s clothing and architecture. I felt as if I was looking at a painting.
What I disliked
- That noble idiocy arc. Communicate, people! After doing so well in the first 27 episodes, our couple suddenly stops communicating with each other. I totally understand why Qianfan was afraid to face Pan’er, but to do what he did felt out of character. Fortunately, the two regains their marbles and starts talking like adults again, but after far too many episodes of not communicating. That arc should’ve been cut short.
- Ouyang Xu as a villain. He was, at first, a sympathetic villain. I almost understood why he did what he did. He was a weak man with little courage to go against social norms to really have a life with Pan’er. He never deserved her in the first place, but for him to suddenly go all mustache-twirling villain in the last ten episodes was not very believable nor convincing.
- The plot stumbling towards the end. It’s truly odd how the show stumbled towards the end. The stumble wasn’t catastrophic and it certainly didn’t render the show unwatchable, but it had been so perfectly crafted until episode 30 or so.
Last verdict
Is it worth watching? Most certainly. It also has a good ending, if you’re one to worry about that. (Chinese dramas have a very notorious reputation of turning tragic at a dime)
Mastodon log (spoilery)
I occasionally post my thoughts to social media. Here’s my log (please forgive the spelling mistakes!)
19 March 2023
Everything about A Dream Of Splendor is stunning. The sets, the costumes, the music, the actors…yes I am shameless enough to say that the eye candy is a big part of why I am enjoying the show.
Too few Chinese Dramas have this standard. And I wonder why they don’t bother reaching this level.
I also love Pan’er, the female lead in this one. Strong, witty, yet flawed … She’s not the typical squeaky-voiced female in a CDrama I hate so much 😆
23 March 2023
Sanniang eavesdropping on our couple; Gu Xianfang’s “logical” explanations on why it is ok for him to take off Pan’er’s robe to “see if her injuries have healed” and his reminder that she already took off his clothes before, so what’s the fuss? And Sanniang’s scandalized expression to this – priceless!!
Enjoying this CDrama so much!
Spoilers ahoy – from 5:33
25 March 2023
Can these two get any swoonier?
PS: Spoilerific video
But seriously this amount of public skinship is not a thing in ancient China and would probably land these two in a lot of trouble.
But do I care?
NOOOOAAAAHHHH7 April 2023
That besotted look in Xianfang’s eyes when he spies Pan’er dancing – first, at the tea house during a a tea ceremony, and then alone under the moonlight. Can’t blame him for being smitten, of course!13 April 2023
What I love about A Dream Of Splendor is that I can enjoy it at a leisurely pace. I love the natural chemistry of the main couple and learning about China’s ancient tea culture. It’s a slice of life drama so some people complain about the pacing, but I find it perfect. I just watch an episode a day and feel satisfied. Maybe this is something I need at a time like this when life is so hectic.
https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202206/24/WS62b57126a310fd2b29e686a8.html
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Distant Stars — story index
Mankind fled Earth a long, long time ago for reasons that have been buried in the ashes of the past. Humanity now thrives in a different part of the galaxy, but old habits die hard — the pursuit of power still reigns supreme.
Distant Stars is a composite novel (or short story cycle) made up of a collection of short stories set in the same world. (Learn more.) The short stories are divided into different “ages” or historical periods.
A tentative balance
3050 years after humanity left Earth
In the present, an uneasy peace settles in the galaxy, but old tensions remain.
We dive back into the past to understand how the past shaped the present.
Mantora Corporation
Mantora Corporation establishes its first world in a new part of the galaxy. During this time of prosperity, a new class system emerges.
Planetians Rise
Rebels rise against the corporate rulers of humanity by utilising a new and deadly form of technology.
The Colony Wars
After the cold war comes the race toward annihilation.
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How I’m healing from algorithms
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Elizabeth Tai 