hi chosties, please don't call yourself a "cohost refugee". it's not the right word for someone who can't go to a website anymore, even if it's a really good website ok.

Even "expat" feels really really Icky to me because, like, hum you know. When someone white moves to another country they're an "expat" but when they're not white they're an "immigrant".

Surely there isn't anything more deep behind that difference of wording.

Also, and I'm sorry to anyone who is going there¹ but idk man, I keep feeling Real Weird reading about "[website] refugees" on Bluesky when their public launch blog post had a comic with a verrrrryyyyyy similar metaphor.

For as much as I called online spaces "home", and I do a lot (and cohost felt like that like only a few places did): it's a fucking website. It's on the fucking computer/phone, comparing that to the material conditions of having to move to another country is Really Fucking Weird. And as an immigrant myself (who took the "easy path", but still) it really bothers me.

1. and i'm there but complaining the whole time, they can't stop me (I mean they can but I'm not stupid enough to do it such that they would unless they get stupid enough about it)