Post by Aikári Salmarinian on Feb 2, 2022 10:54:32 GMT
Let us talk about everything!
Above's call is a clear invite to me, there are no boundaries to what exist in our minds. At nearly forty-seven I stand on a biological crossroad, that takes me into the unknown. I know only that millions of women threaded this path before me, also my mother and grandmothers and they came out unscathed. Once more this makes me unsure who I am, just as I once stepped into my teenager years. The word 'Genuine' made me prompt to answer a bunch of questions and posted them. Even to add more was encouraged. So I post a bit more. But then the fun of it really ends and all hopped onto a road it should not walk in the first place.
Winddancer wrote on Monday 31 January 2022
Alright my lovelies, let's have a get to know you chitchat! I promise it won't be used against you.. So, let's talk about everything! Status quo, wants, desires, issues, problems, potential problems. Anything and everything! Just not stamps..
Just please keep in mind this is just a chat between you and me and the whole plaza. I am just genuinely curious as to where people are at and what they are hoping to see and what they find an issue, if any. Cause who knows, perhaps there is an easy fix! I like stapling stuff together! By the way, this isn't asking for an admin bashing. I am asking because I honestly want to know how you guys feel and whether there is something more we can do to make this place thrive. So please be honest, but respectful. And please, just see it as a little heart to heart from your nosy admin and lets have a nice little chat.
Alright my lovelies, let's have a get to know you chitchat! I promise it won't be used against you.. So, let's talk about everything! Status quo, wants, desires, issues, problems, potential problems. Anything and everything! Just not stamps..
Just please keep in mind this is just a chat between you and me and the whole plaza. I am just genuinely curious as to where people are at and what they are hoping to see and what they find an issue, if any. Cause who knows, perhaps there is an easy fix! I like stapling stuff together! By the way, this isn't asking for an admin bashing. I am asking because I honestly want to know how you guys feel and whether there is something more we can do to make this place thrive. So please be honest, but respectful. And please, just see it as a little heart to heart from your nosy admin and lets have a nice little chat.
Above's call is a clear invite to me, there are no boundaries to what exist in our minds. At nearly forty-seven I stand on a biological crossroad, that takes me into the unknown. I know only that millions of women threaded this path before me, also my mother and grandmothers and they came out unscathed. Once more this makes me unsure who I am, just as I once stepped into my teenager years. The word 'Genuine' made me prompt to answer a bunch of questions and posted them. Even to add more was encouraged. So I post a bit more. But then the fun of it really ends and all hopped onto a road it should not walk in the first place.
Karis' reply in the thread made me realise something that what she faces, I do often as well. People indeed often jump to conclusions without asking at all about intent or if they even heard me or read correctly, when they encounter something poisonous to them. Personally I have been in situations where my blank hide (what is a smooth and healthy skin) especially in summer time, was a nice opportunity to point me at if a few tones darker would be much better. However too much sun and I risk skin damage and cancer. Having seen my mother slowly succumb to the breast version in five years, I know how awful that disease is. You won't be hearing me someone calling names based on that illness, or any other. But people feel they still got to say if I am right-winged. I haven't even said a thing. What can you reply to that?
When it comes to nazism, I know exactly what is. The racial views and how it influences lives. Being in the heart of their twenties and early thirties my grandmothers were forced to take on traditional roles, got married and my parents were born. My grandfathers were called up to military service and forced to fight throughout the war, with a few leaves in between to see wife and child. They all got through, but still my aging father pays a price in the form of nightmares about an adhoc move to the other side of the country and all the bombs that exploded in those days. New Years Night '22 was no fun for me this year. My grandpa told me chilling stories from his days as military nurse in the east of the Netherlands, where from late '44 a series of battles were fought to liberate the country, and failed with Market Garden. What racism is, you don't have to tell me. I have seen and heard enough in life to know, that social-democracy is the best remedy against it. An inclusive society is an ideal I have no believe in it will ever exist. There are always people who got views along the fringes, and it is important to keep in contact. As Mithrandir said, our choices determine our actions. In this pandemic I saw good friends abandon their mild believes for conspiracy theories and still I did not abandon them. Slowly they are coming back to where they once stood, it is keep listening and not judging. If my influence can bring them back on the right track, I have to try. Only then racism can disappear.
"Let us extend grace to each other." It is so beautifully said by Karis, I can only give a salute to that. I can say I am not graceful in the sense of the word. Reread over and over is something I always do, with matters such as these. Maybe I should take the advice and withdraw me there. About the whole LB+ matter, many years before I dived into the matter and wrote a couple of stories wherein characters are embracing matters like those over them in a rather hostile world of the 23rd century. They are part of the Dependent series, but never published, because there is a lot 18+ matter to it, and not suitable for forums like these. That we are trying to create an accepted community by all still, was also the spearhead of the Plaza when I first joined in June 2004. There too any form of political, sexual or religious subjects were forbidden. It was even impossible to discuss any policy matter with the administrator as members. "We want every member to take into account that you are interacting with people from very different cultures, backgrounds, religious beliefs and ages. A comment that you might consider to be a very innocent remark may be considered as an insult by another person. (1.1 Language Usage)" Plaza member conduct I have read over and over and still I can memorise it by heart. In fact since June 2004 I applied it nearly in every place I physically came as well. Mission and policies I downloaded once and give me still access to read what the Plaza really was. It can be applied anywhere.
1.3 Off Plaza Interaction
Even in approaching Plaza Members off of the Plaza (for instance through email or in chat sessions), we want you to uphold our general conduct guidelines. Even if you are officially out of our jurisdiction, you are still dealing with a member of our site that you probably got to know through the Plaza. Things you say off the Plaza could have consequences for the Plaza or for the member you are interacting with. In the past, we have banned people from the Plaza for incorrect behavior during off-plaza interaction with other Plaza members.
Even in approaching Plaza Members off of the Plaza (for instance through email or in chat sessions), we want you to uphold our general conduct guidelines. Even if you are officially out of our jurisdiction, you are still dealing with a member of our site that you probably got to know through the Plaza. Things you say off the Plaza could have consequences for the Plaza or for the member you are interacting with. In the past, we have banned people from the Plaza for incorrect behavior during off-plaza interaction with other Plaza members.
Maybe I got tangled once or twice about my member conduct, but I don't remember much of it. I took always acknowledgment of what I was doing wrong and thanked the person for pointing it out to me. This gave me fourteen years of great pleasure and respect, wherein I returned that pleasure and respect to others, collected over 22.000 points until a hacker broke it down, and Rivvy's place came to exist. The once given rules are this clear it is still hard to forget them. The Plaza was a place I felt welcome, respected and nearly each day was a joy to come online again. This extended into Rivvy's place as well, how small we were as community at the time. The Plaza rules were never published, but any misbehaviour I haven't seen among us in four years. I still feel as comfortable here, as all those fourteen other years. Five months on the Plaza with my little corner only, I am sorry to say not to feel that. It is always tiptoeing what is acceptable there and what not.
Anyhow I needed to get this into a nice essay. Winddancer wrote it all very appealing, I felt the courage to answer the questionnaire. In the end perhaps it had been better, if I hadn't done it. I am quite disappointed how it turned out. Any other surveys I won't be answering anymore in the future. I won't be around there much for the coming time there and uphold my presence here.
~ Aikári