we had a lot of fun on this website. i mean that collectively and in the sense of the royal "we." it was a good time. cohost gave me the space to reflect on who i was and who i wanted to be that wasn't compromised by the same lack of safety that exist on every other social media site these days. at least that's the case for all the big ones i've tried (and even some of the small ones!)
this week has been intense so it's taking me longer to go through my followers/following lists and find people's links. but rest assured, i will get around to it. i don't think i ever felt comfortable posting what i have here anywhere else, and that's given me the confidence to put myself out there in a way i never felt. cohost being itself inspired me to reach out and keep connected with people i would have let slip by on any other website.
like i think there's a space for sincerity on this site that doesn't resonate as much elsewhere. you can't be sincere when there are rules in place saying it's okay for others to use the site to say you should be killed because of who you are, and that's basically the case with ToS conditions on every big platform out there. but it has left me thinking that a place being small is what allows that integrity. you can't keep growing an audience indefinitely if you hope to maintain coherent values. there's enough people in the world that eventually you'll get people who let nasty shit slide, and they'll bring along others who feel the same way.
so i'm grateful to see that we're all realizing that finding our own small communities can get us what we got here. it's not going to be the same and we'll lose touch with good people. that's something to mourn. we lost something good here. but it's heartening to see that we're all grappling with that loss in a way that acknowledges what we weren't and aren't getting from digital spaces elsewhere.
but we must go on; and so we all shall. whatever path you set upon, dear reader, i wish you safety and love in your travels! <3 <3 <3 🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙