Saturday Meta BBQs return!

[emo_snal]

   I haven't really talked much meta this LJ season, as I had last year. There's not really much to say in the beginning when everyone's just getting oriented and haven't even started to wonder the eternal questions yet. But it looks like in just the last week or two, possibly due to the gatekeeper round, questions such as "what is this" and "why

Comments

[flameprincess]

I'm probably horrible but I won't read an entry that has a warning of triggers. I get so annoyed by seeing that advisement that it turns me off from reading. Probably from past seasons overdosing on using it.

The stories covering how horrible life is/was/will be don't really do it for me either. I've considered (for when I'm bored and have no life to contend with) actually seeing how many people recycle the sob stories in new and inventive ways to try and secure votes.

Yes I'm a cynic.

That being said, I've either voted once or not voted this season. I'm not really sure on that score. Life got in the way and even though I actually was reading all the entries and running a list of ones to vote for, I kept missing the deadline to vote. Moral of the story: Mandi's rules for votes don't apply :)

[emo_snal]

Yeah someone else commented on the triggers in their list of things that turn them off about entries. I tend to agree but as a not-very-sensitive person I figured I ought to be sensitive to the fact that maybe some people ARE really easily freaked out about things. But I remember it reached epidemic proportions last year in terms of the number of entries with warning triggers and it was rather out of hand

[flameprincess]

I've had you on my list but RL has been clobbering me upside the head lately... I'm a baaaaddd lj idol spectator :)

I agree with the NSFW warnings. I always assume it's picture based and get confused when it isn't.

As far as being sensitive to the fact that some people are easily freaked out about things, I've tried but the internet is a big place and not everything comes with handy dandy warning labels. Doesn't responsibility of walking away come into play on their end? I don't know, I may just be intolerant or have thicker skin.

Abusive exes, it's like a primary staple of idol. Well abuse at the very least is. I've considered doing a season and writing only cheery stories. I figure I might last a round doing that. I think we see it because people respond to those sorts of stories. Certain people I'm convinced are recycling and so they are flat out never included on my list of people to vote for, in any season.

[comedychick]

Re: NSFW warnings, I've heard some people work at places where their Internet is filtered and/or pick up on specific words that could be considered inappropriate for the workplace.

[emo_snal]

Well then they probably shouldn't be on LJ! :D

Seriously though. I'll make a quick entry at lunch at my current place or maybre respond to a comment real quick like if it's slow and the boss isn't looking, but if I worked somewhere where I knew they were monitoring our internet usage (such as some law firms I've worked at) I wouldn't go near livejourbal. Live what?

[comedychick]

LOL, true. Monitoring Internet things? They're obviously going to pick up on LJ usernames (including the one belonging to said employee) and then who knows what might happen next... It makes me glad I don't, uh, work at all? haha

[emo_snal]

Lol!!

The computer monitoring operations of some companies really freak me out. I worked for this one law firm that not only had blocked all the regular email services (like Yahoo! I couldn't check my yahoo mail even on my lunch break!), but had even accidentally blocked their own payroll service! Lol!

[comedychick]

LOL clever!

[teaberryblue]

See, as someone who has real, physical triggers that make me literally black out (I have passed out in very public places at the mere mention of certain subjects, without warning), I really appreciate that people DO put them on, even if it's not something that triggers me. The problem for me is that the thing that triggers me (detailed descriptions of surgical procedures, which trigger me because I nearly had an arm amputated when I was 20) aren't things anyone thinks about warning for.

The problem, I think, is that most people DON'T have triggers, and because of that, they don't know when to warn for them or what requires a trigger warning. And most real triggers are set off by very specific language or descriptions. I don't know any rape victims who are triggered by broad theoretical discussions of rape-- I do know rape victims who are triggered by descriptions of a specific rape experience

[flameprincess]

No argument there. I know that people have severe reactions and they should have the decency of a warning. My issue stems from the majority that overuse triggers for the mention of the word rape rather then for any specific descriptions (fill in whatever here, I just selected rape for the purpose of the example). On the flip side you have those that really don't know what triggers are and react to anything that upsets them as "OMG you should have said it would trigger" even if there really wasn't a "need" for it.

I know I can be a bitch but I'm not trying to be one for this. I just see more people using it incorrectly and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to the point that I avoid all stories that utilize that warning.

[teaberryblue]

I agree people use it incorrectly, but I think what I am trying to say is that 90% of the people who use it incorrectly do it because they are really, sincerely trying to help. And I am not going to ever penalize someone who is trying to be sensitive to the needs of the people around them, even if they don't quite get it. It's not fair to penalize someone for kindness.

When it's someone who appears to be doing it to entice people to read or for the shock value, though, I feel differently.

[flameprincess]

Fair enough. I think I'm just not as optimistic as you in believing that the majority are doing it because they genuinely want to help which I fully admit is my hangup.