smile, you're on camera

I started writing this on the 23/9/2025. A little later on I'll pop in from the future.

Do NOT believe the misinfo going around

There absolutely have been MASSIVE TOS updates

Most notably:

1. Specifying no FICTIONAL noncon
2. No "dangerous" kink
3. No DISCUSSING self harm, suicide, or substance abuse unless its "educational"

So what can we DO about it?

#SaveSpeech

1/🧵

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— Void🔞 | VGen (@voiddebris.bsky.social) September 20, 2025 at 5:26 PM

Bsky updated its TOS and it's devolved as I thought it would: if people just explain more, how their art is good actually, their depiction of rape is very serious and very considerate actually, it's cnc actually, what scenes are: people would understand and change their minds.

It's not going to work. It's not what's happening. You cannot explain your way out of this. This isnt a "bsky doesn't like bdsm and needs a good conversation"... Of course they know. People who have started harassment campaigns against artists know. There is not one person in the world who thinks a drawing has that much power; it's simply the easiest way to shut you up. Keep arguing in circles about no you don't understand, what I draw is CNC, it's NOT noncon. You can CLEARLY tell.

Fiction is fiction. That's where the conversation should end. Drawings do not have genders, sexualities or free wills. What art is; is two human beings attempting to make a connection. It's me and you right now, as you read this. Me and you have vastly different boundaries, what we think sex is, our likes and dislikes, what's vanilla and what's not. It's why your kink is not my kink and that's okay and squicked out were coined. You cannot explain how your work is different actually. The issue is they need to respect you as another being with different preferences. If you're not going to be an adult, and believe other human beings have brains and thoughts and wills of their own... Well...

I'm sure, if you've made anything online, you've been called out, or suddenly have friends turn on you. I think a lot of people have scoffed this off as something that only happens in niche spaces. Or it's simply dumb fandom drama. Aren't you so much smarter then the losers who use terms like proship and anti. You're the third thing. Who cares about trans women being ran off platforms for drawing diapers. That's Weird.

Niche hobby spaces reflect society and culture. People, especially young or queer people who don't have irl support, will struggle with the reactionary and hostile world we grow up in. Being an ostracized is one of the cruelest tricks of the trade we have. Getting power, being able to be the bully, the one that's in the right and getting to decide who's in and who's out... Not a lot can resist it.

29/9/2025 Hello it's Becky from the future. Last night, as things tend to do, it took a turn for the... techbro employees putting themselves in the line of a site's ire?

this is what the bluesky team thinks of your feedback

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— walking mirage (@wolf.observer) September 28, 2025 at 9:40 PM

You don't see fuckups like this everyday. You have to relish it while you can.

You cannot be getting paid that much... You can't... I get it though, when people in certain industries (animation, tech) do this song and dance. They've been brainwashed to think this is the best job ever, aren't you sooo lucky, it could be so much worse etc etc. They're tricking you into doing free marketing and HR. You're getting @'d by 100s of people! Which you never had to do!!!!

I thought bsky and its staff would play the waiting game; picking and choosing who to ban while everyone stops caring bc it's out of the online news cycle, slowly updating the ToS to keep cutting off fictional depictions of whatever it is they chose.

Just make your own app... It's simply so simple. The answer's been looking me right in the face!

How it goes...

I've already seen people say that untagged nsfw is the same as being flashed... Is knowing children are being bombed to death in a genocide a violation of your senses? Get a fucking grip. Genuinely, it's shocking how little people care. I do not know how to express fully how sad it is to see people live in their bubbles. It's over there. Not here. It won't effect me. Why is everyone complaining? It can't be so bad. What do you mean I should use the block feature? But I scroll socmedia during work hours...! Why is nobody thinking about me? If you could just all be normal, this wouldn't have happened.

Yeah, I've heard that one too many times.

You have to stop explaining yourself to these sorts. There is no answer they will accept. They don't want a conversation, they want you gone. These people, if they're good faith, need more than one internet stranger via one passing remark. For them, it's about momentary comfort, a minor annoyance vs your voice being silenced, being able to express yourself in the way you see fit, your existence being wiped online. Apples, oranges.

There are no downsides to tagging lol. lmao. nice to be you. Even simply tagging a ship can you get you harassed. I don't know what world these sorts live in, honestly.

i'm reminded of this whenever i see people upset about nobody properly tagging. when we do properly tag, you get upset anyway because you saw the tag. but if we don't tag, you apparently don't even recognize it as upsetting.

this is why you can't police consent in art.

— the haver of it🔞 (@taylortitmouse.bsky.social) September 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM

Put far better than I ever could. I talked about this a little in a previous blog, but tagging is not the be-all, end-all. I would argue nowadays, tagging is used more as a gotcha. You didn't tag it enough. Oh you tagged it as X? I hate X! Why would you draw X?! And you get anons and vagues etc etc Tags are something the creator can chose, or not chose, to utilize. And if you're weighing up the scales... it's best not to tag.

And believe me, if it were up to me and we lived in the perfect world where everyone did as I wanted... Tags would be required. I LOVE TAGS!! It's why I made this site!! So I could fully tag everything!!! I love being able to sort through work, I love being able to block tags... It's killing me to not tag. I want people to know what they're in for. But, I trust people to be adults about it. I don't tag my work, so you can block/mute me. We have robust tools.

You can tag everything in the world and people will still find a reason if they're looking for one. Be a bit warily of these sorts, rats and snakes are about. People who haven't sat with their discomfort will lash out as the walls close in, as the world gets scarier. Look at how many ICE raids have been called in America over things like steam scams. A lot more people suddenly have very heavy weapons in their reach.

Look, I wish I had all the answers for you. Be a lot easier, wouldn't it?

I will always be pro putting yourself first and being smart. I said so on my socials, you are your own archivist. Your art is important is because you made it, not for any other reason.

Keep kicking up a fuss, but look after yourself. Make sure you have a local copy of all your work. Make sure you have a backup social, or your own site and that people can find you, whatever works for you. I know not everyone has the same handle everywhere, so now it's maybe the time to make your carrd, linktree or pinned post with updated info on where you are. Make sure you can contact your friends outside of socials and discords if you are close. We can see how quickly laws can be passed and put into effect. I know it's annoying, it takes up so much of the day but now is the time to sort yourself out. I want to just draw girls lezzing out, but we gotta prepare.

We can and will survive this. Maybe it's my own nature as an Irishwoman, but preparing and keeping the head down is what I think is needed for longevity. There's some fights you have to just live through, and some you can fully fight. Pick and chose.

I'm sticking with my creator chose not to use content warnings on my artwork, cropping + sharing to socials and linking to this site. I was actually thinking I was playing it a bit too safe, and that maybe bsky would hold out a bit longer... but now after everything I'm firmly comfortable in my choice. I hope whatever way you end up picking works for you.

What's next?

I've been muling over this for a good, long while. What will the future of the internet look like? I know people want Twitter clones, to be "where everyone else is"...

Do you think this is forever?

I mean that seriously. Do you think how it is now (or to be real, how it never was;) is how it will be forever? I think now we're fully in the growing pains as the web changes around us. I do think the future will be more decentralized. It's already happening. A lot of people are holding onto the old way because... it's what makes them money, and it's what they know. I'm lucky that I spend so much time on dA and niche forums as a young netizen... I'm kinda used to jumping around and knowing it's a small space. I don't know if there's going to be sites where everybody is in a few years. And it's making my head spin! I don't fully understand it all yet, or how it all will work out... but its very inspiring to see others be so enthusiastic and helpful when I'm struggling or have questions TwT

If you're around my age, you'll remember when Facebook suddenly became uncool. That's what's going to happen more than anything else. Tiktok will have their younger userbase grow up, and they will move on because it's uncool to be where your parents are, to be where these shortlived influencers are, to do something considered babyish. They're on spacehey, they're in smaller groupchats, they will use the internet in a completely different way then what we know.

I don't want to be like people who can't leave Facebook, who can't leave Twitter... I think nada novia said it best:

every site and service youre using should always be treated like you're just squatting in a billionaires house and be ready to leave with your shit at a moments notice. carve a home there like a pest and when it's time to go you do the same in the next place. this is life

— princess online (@nadianova.fi) July 16, 2025 at 5:34 PM

This is life. (Also play Slime Feet and Hopeless Junction if you haven't graced yourself with her work yet.)

Madston and IRC are so far out of my wheelhouse and I will need a lot of time to wrap my head around it. But I never want to be the sort who never tries. I bang on about RSS so much because it's proof to yourself you were here. A lot of sites get deleted. Accounts forgotten and lost. Chatlogs you can't access when the service sunsets... The web is a weird mix of forever and wastelands.

Stay safe wherever you are,

--xoxo becky