Some of you may know that I love Reddit (and now, I guess, you all know that. And while we're in this parenthetical, is it weird that I say "you" when writing to a few million people, many of whom I'm never going to actually meet? Is it weird to be so familiar? I think saying "dear readers" or "my readers" would be even more strange. I hate the term "my ____" because it implies ownership, and that's just … really, really not how I roll. Wow, this is a neurotic and rambling parenthetical, isn't it? I guess I'll end it now and go back to the post at hand. Let's never speak of this again.)
Recently on BoingBoing, Cory said this of Reddit, which sums up why it is the online community where I spend pretty much all of my online community time (yeah, that's a line item in the time budget):
…it's just as possible to build a society on social norms of mutual aid, compassion and whimsy as it is to build one on juvenile, meanspirited trolling and cynicism.
It's not too hard to find people who are being dicks, just like anywhere else in the world, but Reddit self-corrects better than any other online communityI've ever been part of. I have some theories on this, but I think it's because the core of Reddit users are all people who left other sites because they wanted to spend their online community time at a place where people weren't dicks, and protecting that (leading by example, usually) is important to us.
So, there. Now you know why I love Reddit so much (and here's me at Reddit, if you care about that sort of thing.)
All of this is preamble to the real purpose of this post: to point out an auction I'm doing with the Reddit admins to raise money and awareness for Fly With Dignity (or EFF, if Fly With Dignity doesn't need it).
Back in 2009, when reddit's first iPhone app launched, kn0thing made a commercial featuring the underused marketing line, "More fun than LARPing with Wil Wheaton!"
Shortly thereafter, we had the motto laser-etched onto the back of a top-of-the-line 16GB iPod Touch and asked Wil to sign it (he's a avid redditor, of course.) We figured we could pick a charity and auction it off. I mean, who wouldn't want a piece of technology signed by this guy?
As the kids say, read the whole thing (because it's funny, and contains pictures and video that 4 out of 5 Bothans found quite amusing, and saves me the hassle of copying the whole thing.)
In addition to a spiffy and nearly-obsolete iPod Touch that is actually signed by me OMG, I'm adding a signed copy of the super swanky leather-bound and slip-cased Subterranean Press edition of The Happiest Days of Our Lives. I'm also including the audio versions of Just A Geek and Happiest Days of our Lives (it is an iPod, after all) and all existing episodes of Radio Free Burrito and Memories of the Futurecast.
Perhaps the winner could get a chance to actually LARP with Wil Wheaton? 🙂
Apologies, my post is going to be OT, but I wanted to respond to your Tweet about Maiden. 🙂
Definately an awesome band, I would also recommend Bruce’s solo albums “Accident of Birth” and “The Chemical Wedding.” And a plug for my favorite metal band Nevermore.
This “don’t be a dick” thing is catching on. The season finale of Weeds on Monday – the two brothers were parting and the older gave advice to the younger…. and the younger said that’s it? Your words of wisdom are “don’t be a dick?” Yeah, I guess so.
Let’s try this again, since that last huge link was gross.
I have no money, so sadly, cannot bid. I am sad!
But a very hearty good luck to those of you with full pocketbooks 😀
How funny – I once said to my mom (who is seventeen kinds of awesome), “I love it when you ask how one of my friends is by saying, ‘How is my Wil?’* because it means I know you really like them.”
Just a contrast to hating “my” for connoting ownership…
*Not, of course, the real example. Because I have never met Wil. But I am sure if he were a friend that my mother would inquire about “my Wil.”
LOL Photo circa 2009. =P That sweater shuuure is in nice shape after all these years…
If I weren’t preggers and in desperate need of a vehicle over an ipod touch, I’d so have this. *sigh*
If you had to list or rank your favorite social media what would it be?
As far as icons listed on webpages its seems like Twitter, Facebook, Linked In (and some times You Tube) are the big three.
Picked up UNMARKETING which talks a lot about Twitter.
I know you as and writer/actor deal with the sounds and meanings of words on a daily basis. So if you can’t find an expression that you feel comfortable with then there is only two real solutions. First is to give us a proper name to call your readers/fans (i.e. ‘Exiles’- Some of the Exiles may know that I love Reddit). Second is to make a new word that will comfortably be applied to the situation.(i.e. ‘quimps’ – Some of quimps may know that I love Reddit). There may be more options out there for this type of situation but I highly doubt that they would be as much fun.
Twitter, Reddit, and I guess Tumblr (though I think Tumblr is more like a linkblog).
*makes grabby hands*
In order not to seem or sound “like a dick”, let me brief.
You couldn’t think of a more worthwhile charity to give the proceeds to, seriously??? I could think of tons more worthwhile charities.
Be thankful you’re not disabled, anyone who disagrees with the pat-down. Disabled, like myself, don’t get a choice.
Sorry, I just couldn’t not comment about this.
‘Nuff said.