contribution

[follypersist]

if we all took one thing away from cohost let it be—for the love of god let us all comment more. tell people what you think or that you like their work more. don't be weird but do be sincere and err on the side of information. actually talking to one another, in little asynchronous ways, is the only way out of an automated algorithmic future. each time you express something to another human being, you make a foothold against the tide.

Comments

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> if we all took one thing away from cohost let it be—for the love of god let us all comment more. <<

That's an excellent take-home.

>> tell people what you think or that you like their work more. don't be weird but do be sincere and err on the side of information. <<

Comments that pretty much everyone loves:

"New headcanon: accepted."

"You just made my day."

"This is the best thing I've read all day / week / year / ever."

"My favorite line is: (quote)."

"This reminds me of (famous artist / writer /etc.)."

"Thank you for this solution to a problem I was having."

"The world needs more people like you / posts like this."

"I am reccing this at (place) / adding this to my list of (best whatevers)."

>> actually talking to one another, in little asynchronous ways, is the only way out of an automated algorithmic future. each time you express something to another human being, you make a foothold against the tide.<<

Sooth.

The world needs more posts like this. ;) It's not enough to point out problems, we need to include solutions that people can use, and what you've described here is a good way to fight a lot of the creeping crud that makes the internet not fun to be on nowadays.

[bluedreaming]

I sometimes see people say that posting on Dreamwidth feels like there’s too much pressure to post something long, but it’s absolutely okay to make little micro-post style thought posts as well, and they can be just as great for getting the on the fly comment interaction which is lovely.
And commenting on older posts (lean into the asynchronicity!) is delightful.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I sometimes see people say that posting on Dreamwidth feels like there’s too much pressure to post something long, <<

I've heard that too.

>> but it’s absolutely okay to make little micro-post style thought posts as well, and they can be just as great for getting the on the fly comment interaction which is lovely.<<

Absolutely! That wave of folks who came over from Twitter? A lot of them like short-form posts and they still do that here. It's just as legit as posting a long essay or story.

In fact there's a whole cluster of short post types that are popular here, including but not limited to:

* This cool link I just found and maybe a few words about what I think of it.

* Quote of the day.

* A line from what I am currently reading / writing.

* My current word count on a writing project, like "Wednesday Word Count" or "Monthly Word Count."

* Other accomplishments, like "Monthly Miles."

* A single word as a focus, or a random word with definition, e.g. "One Word Wednesday."

* Memes and other things you copy-paste to your blog, e.g. "Monday Meme."

* One snapshot I've taken or picture I've drawn.
See crafty, caturday, or common_nature.

* Two for Tuesday / 3 Random Things / 3 Things Make a Post / Three on Thursday / 5 Things Make a Post / Saturday Six
See 3_good_things_a_day or thefridayfive.

Recurring Posts has some other ideas for various lengths and numbers.


>> And commenting on older posts (lean into the asynchronicity!) is delightful.<<

Definitely true. I often comment on the top post and may not realize it's old.

[rep_resent]

I enjoyed seeing comments on cohost a lot, they often meant more to me than rebug's and likes. This is basically true across all of the places and things I post, people typing their thoughts is an ask. It's privileged goods every time <3

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

A lot of creators basically run on comments. Feedback is candy! Feedback is also fuel.

It's especially fun when fans get to talking about something and it creates a runaway reaction. :D

Re: Yes ...

[rep_resent]

I've not yet had the privilege of the promptless AU fork but boy does it make me jealous when I see it happen (and also cause one myself)

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

It often happens in my Poetry Fishbowl. Today's theme is "Cryptids."

dialecticdreamer does Magpie Monday (rotating themes) and Feathering the Nest (fluff & comfor), which also sometimes wind up with a lot of audience crosstalk.

The same is very prone to happen in comments under the poems and stories that we post.

[ashverse]

Hi, I'm a tumblr transplant, not Cohost, but I still very much agree with you. My experience of DW so far is that it not having a straightforward reblog feature kinda forces me to comment since I can't just say "oh OP will see my tags" like I did on Tumblr, and I really like that actually. Since commenting and discussion in the comments is just normalized here, and it's not like other comment sections like uh.... YouTube or whatever where it can get unpleasant real quick. It feels a lot less isolating. I am just struggling because I haven't done fandom stuff in years and I know absolutely nothing about html lol. But in general I like it here, welcome to any and all Cohost refugees!

Welcome!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Hi, I'm a tumblr transplant, not Cohost, but I still very much agree with you. <<

This community is for everyone new to Dreamwidth, among others. Look here for resources on how to use this platform -- several of those are from Tumblr folks and/or for Tumblr users. We had a Tumblr influx a few years back so there are bunches of people from there.

>> My experience of DW so far is that it not having a straightforward reblog feature kinda forces me to comment since I can't just say "oh OP will see my tags" like I did on Tumblr, and I really like that actually. <<

Yay! I'm happy to hear that.

>> Since commenting and discussion in the comments is just normalized here, and it's not like other comment sections like uh.... YouTube or whatever where it can get unpleasant real quick.<<

Another reason for that is because Dreamwidth has terrific privacy and moderation tools. They're not perfect, but they get the job done most of the time. If someone tries to flame you on your blog, you can just delete it. In a community, the administrator can delete it.

Ideally, individual bloggers and community administrators should post their expectations somewhere about what their venue is for and how they expect people to behave. This helps people know what's okay in which venue.

>> It feels a lot less isolating. <<

That's encouraging. Dreamwidth is a good place to make friends, connect with people, and deepen relationships. Much of that happens in the threaded comment discussions.

Some blogs also have posts that are especially for socializing, and there are lounge-type communities just for hanging out. My Wednesday rotation of posts are designed that way.

>> I am just struggling because I haven't done fandom stuff in years <<

That's understandable.

Fandom is extremely active on Dreamwidth and easy to find. For communities see fandomcalendar, followfriday, and dw_community_promo. Of those, followfriday has thematic lists of active communities each week. Sometimes it's easier to look at a list of things and see what you like, than it is to think up topics from scratch.

You can also search for things you like on the Interests page. Latest Things will tell you what people are posting about right now.

>> and I know absolutely nothing about html lol. <<

I can just about manage to make italics and links, most of the time, but that's about it. You may find these helpful:

What HTML tags can I use on Dreamwidth?

GUIDE TO DREAMWIDTH HTML/CSS

Another great way to learn Dreamwidth HTML is through the post creator. It has a bunch of icons for formatting your text, adding images, etc. You can use those, then switch from Rich Text view to HTML view using the tabs at the top of the window. That will show you how the post creator is doing the thing you asked it to do, so you can learn the code for that thing.

>> But in general I like it here, welcome to any and all Cohost refugees! <<

I'm happy to hear that.

Re: Welcome!

[ashverse]

That tip about switching from rich text to html to see how posts work is so smart! Thank you! I really need to figure out how cutting posts works, I've tried multiple times and I just don't get it. I'm sure it's probably in that guide. Thanks for the welcome and tips. Have a good rest of your weekend.

Re: Welcome!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> That tip about switching from rich text to html to see how posts work is so smart! Thank you! <<

I'm happy I could help.

>> I really need to figure out how cutting posts works, I've tried multiple times and I just don't get it. I'm sure it's probably in that guide. <<

In Rich Text mode, there is a little icon with horizontal lines on it that you can use to insert a cut.

In HTML, you begin a cut by typing:

(cut)

You end a cut by typing:

(/cut)

Replace the parentheses with angle brackets < and > to activate the code.

The official entry on cuts is here:
https://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse?faqid=88


>> Thanks for the welcome and tips. Have a good rest of your weekend. <<

Tomorrow is more writing for me.